Explosion kills at least 18 civilians and wounds 13 more in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

At least 18 people have been killed in a bombing at a funeral ceremony in eastern Afghanistan, according to local media.

The blast on Sunday took place as people gathered to pay respects to a former district chief in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, Pajhwok Afghan News reported, quoting provincial Governor Attaullah Khogyani.

The explosion left at least 13 people wounded.

Photos from the scene showed a burnt-out rickshaw and a destroyed motorcycle.

The blast killed at least 18 people and wounded another 13 [Zabihullah Ghazi/Anadolu]





There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Taliban denied any involvement.

An affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group is active in Nangarhar province and has attacked officials and security forces in the past.

Hamid Karzai condemns in strongest terms the murderous attack on a funeral in #Jalalabad, Nangarhar, today that killed and wounded our compatriots.Calling the attack an evil act against our religion, culture and people, former President conveyed his deepest sympathies… — Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) December 31, 2017

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s former leader, condemned the attack on Twitter, calling it “an evil act”.