A bomb kills one and injures 5 in an act in Afghanistan

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) – At least one person was killed and five others injured on Saturday when a bomb exploded during an awards ceremony for journalists in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, in the northern Afghanistan, a Taliban police spokesman said.

The incident happened in downtown Tabian Farhang, the capital of Balkh province, as journalists gathered for the event at 11 a.m., regional police spokesman Mohammad Asif Waziri said. appointed by the Taliban.

The attack came two days after another explosion in the city killed the governor, Daud Muzmal, and two others. Four others were injured.

The identity of the man who died on Saturday was not immediately known, but among the injured were journalists. One was Aryana News TV reporter Najeeb Faryad, who said he felt like something hit his back, followed by a deafening bang before he fell to the ground.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the regional affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan province, is one of the Taliban’s main rivals.

The group has increased its attacks in the country since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. Its targets include Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shia minority.