Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills 13 in Jalalabad, injures 15

Jalalabad: At least thirteen people were killed and 15 others were injured in a suicide bomb at a provincial council member's guest house in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, local media reported.

The explosion happened close to the residence of tribal leader Obaidullah Shinwari when people had gathered to celebrate his son's release from the captivity of Taliban, local officials said.

The son was killed and at least 15 people, including his father, were wounded in the attack, according to Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

Shinwari is a member of Nangarhar's provincial council and his family is active in local and national politics.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. There have been several bomb blasts in Afghanistan over recent weeks at a time when efforts are underway to restart a peace process with the Taliban. Islamic State in the same city last week claimed their first attack on a major urban centre in Afghanistan with an assault on the Pakistani consulate that killed seven people.

According to officials, the number of causalities is likely to go up as large number of people were gathered at Shinwari's residence at the time when the explosion took place.