An ISIS suicide bomber killed 12 people and wounded another 31 when he detonated himself in front of the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development building on Monday. According to AFP, the attacker targeted government employees who were waiting for a bus so they could leave work early for Ramadan.
The victims include men, women and children, said Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry while speaking to Reuters.
“Most of my colleagues were leaving for the day to go home,” a Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development employee said while speaking to
AFP. “I am worried about my colleagues. We are told to stay inside for now.”
The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack and appears to have launched other attacks across the country. According to AFP, another suicide bomber blew himself up in front of an Afghan Education Department building in Nangarhar province. In Jalalabad, also in Nangarhar province, ISIS fighters attacked and stormed another Afghan government building.
This new wave of attacks come just days after the Taliban and the Afghan government agreed to a temporary cease-fire during Eid. The Islamic State, however, was not part of the agreement, and the Taliban stated the agreement does not include the United States.