Afghanistan: Islamic State militants kill 15 people in Jalalabad May 13

Event

Suspected Islamic State (IS) militants killed at least 15 people and wounded some 42 others in a complex attack in Jalalabad (Nangarhar province) on Sunday, May 13. A group of six IS assailants reportedly raided the Jalalabad Customs Finance Department building, firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, after detonating a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at its entrance. All the attackers were killed after several hours of fighting with security forces. Authorities cordoned off the area following the attack; the cordon remained in place as of 16:00 (local time) on Sunday. Residual traffic disruptions are possible in the area in the coming hours. Additional IS attacks are possible on government buildings and personnel in Jalalabad and elsewhere in Afghanistan in the near-term.

Context

Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) is active in Afghanistan and has carried out several attacks in the country in recent months. Notably, IS-KP carried out a suicide bombing attack on a voter registration center in Kabul on April 22, killing at least 69 people and wounding around 120 others. An IS-KP suicide bomber also struck the Shi'a Kart-e-Sakhi shrine in Kabul on March 21, killing at least 33 people and wounding 65 others. On April 30, 26 individuals died in a series of terror attacks, including several reporters.

Advice

The security environment in Afghanistan remains complex. Although travel is possible in some areas with proper security protocols in place, other areas should be considered strictly off-limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.