Suicide attack on Afghan demonstration kills 8

Kabul, Nov 23 (IANS) At least eight people were killed and another 17 wounded on Thursday in a suicide attack on a group of demonstrators gathered in support of a former police chief in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city, officials said.

The attack occurred around 2.30 p.m. in front of the house of the former police chief in the capital of Nangarhar province, said provincial governor's spokesperson Attaullah Khogyanai. Several of the victims were children.

No insurgent group has claimed the attack. In Nangarhar, the Taliban as well as the Islamic State terror group are known to be active.

A week ago, 15 people -- including eight policemen and the attacker -- were killed in a suicide attack at the entrance of a hotel in the northwest of Kabul.

Since the end of NATO's combat mission in January 2015, Kabul has been losing ground to insurgents and now controls only 57 per cent of the country, said Special General Inspector for Reconstruction of Afghanistan of the US Congress.

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