Khost suicide attack death toll tops 22

The death toll from yesterday’s suicide attack in  the southern Khost province has raised  to 22 people while 66 others are wounded.

A suicide bomber attacked an anti-corruption demonstration in the eastern Afghanistan Khost province on Thursday.

The suicide attack occurred around 10 a.m. Thursday in front of the provincial governor’s compound in the city of Khost, in tents which were set for dismissing of Khost governor.

The explosion in the eastern city of Khost also wounded a local member of parliament, Hamayun Hamayoon who is in a critical condition and was sent to Kabul for treatment.

Thursday’s attack comes just a week after Washington announced it would not be halving the 9,800 US troops still in Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied his group was responsible for the attack. No other organization has so far claimed responsibility.

President Ashraf Ghani, also condemned the “cowardly attack during a peaceful protest, which is the civil right of our people.

Also on Thursday, Nargis Rukhshani, an official in the southern province of Helmand, said a district police chief had been killed overnight in an explosion. Other police officers were also believed to have died, but details were unclear.