Bomb blast hits bus carrying Afghan soldiers in Jalalabad; casualties reported

A bomb blast has hit a bus carrying Afghan army soldiers on Monday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar. As many as 10 civilians have been killed and 27 others have been injured in the incident.

The explosives were placed in a small motorized vehicle used to haul goods. The bus was carrying newly-recruited army soldiers to Kabul for training.

There were reports immediately available about the extent of the injuries. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing.

Meanwhile, Afghan forces have killed Mawlavi Idris, known as Abu Yousuf, a famous Taliban red unit commander in Ghazni, according to an NDS statement. A planner of guerrilla and terrorist attacks, Yousuf was one of the group’s most influential figures, the NDS says.

Abu Yousuf was preparing and deploying suicide attacks in Kabul city and was killed during joint air raids by the Afghan Air Force and foreign counterparts in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, the NDS stated.

Further details are awaited.

This is a developing story.