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Suicide Bomber Kills Prominent Afghan Militia Commander

by Reuters

   JALALABAD --

   A suicide bomber in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar killed at
   least four people, including a prominent local militia commander,
   considered a leading opponent of Islamic State fighters in the region,
   officials said on Monday.

   The bomber targeted Hayat Khan, a local tribal elder and commander of
   local militia forces in the Behsood district of Nangarhar, Attaullah
   Khogyani, the provincial governor's spokesman said.

   "Haji Hayat Khan was a prominent tribal elder and he was playing a
   important role in the fight against Daesh," said provincial council
   member Sohrab Qaderi, using the term often employed for Islamic State
   in Afghanistan. "He was a strong barrier against Daesh expansion in
   Nangarhar."

   The incident follows a series of attacks on targets in Nangarhar, the
   province on the border with Pakistan where Islamic State first appeared
   in Afghanistan in late 2014.