Suicide bomber kills nine in eastern Afghanistan

At least nine people were killed and 12 others injured by a suicide bomber Thursday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, an official said. The bomber, who was on foot, detonated a device near a local police checkpoint, according to a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.

"Four security personnel and five civilians have been killed and 12 more, including three security personnel, wounded," said Attaullah Khogyani. There was at least one child among the fatalities, while three others were among those wounded.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but the area around Jalalabad is home to fighters from both the Taliban and the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate. A wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks has claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security forces.

After 18 years of conflict, the Taliban are in negotiations with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad for some sort of peace settlement. A resolution still seems far off, with the two sides struggling to agree on several key points.

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