Afghanistan: Explosion in Jalalabad kills at least 18 people June 17 /update 2

Event

An explosion in Jalalabad (Nangarhar province) killed at least 18 people and wounded 49 others on Sunday, June 17. The detonation reportedly took place outside of the regional governor's office while officials were mingling with Taliban militants following an Eid al-Fitr celebration. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Additional militant attacks on government installations are possible in Nangarhar province in the near-term.

Context

The June 17 attack comes a day after an Islamic State (IS)-claimed suicide bombing attack killed at least 36 people and wounded 65 others - including local officials and Taliban militants - at an Eid al-Fitr gathering in Nangarhar province.

Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) is active in Nangarhar province and has recently carried out deadly attacks in the area. Notably, on May 13, suspected IS-KP militants killed at least 15 people and wounded some 42 others in a coordinated attack on the Jalalabad Customs Finance Department building. More recently, on June 8, an armed attack on the home of a lawmaker in Jalalabad killed four people and wounded five others.

The Taliban and the Afghan government previously announced a ceasefire in observance of Eid al-Fitr. The government began their unilateral ceasefire on June 12, and has reportedly extended the ceasefire until June 27; the Taliban have said that they would adhere to a ceasefire from June 15 to 17, and that their ceasefire would not be extended and would end on the night of June 17.

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.