Gunmen storm media compound in eastern Afghanistan

Gunmen stormed the provincial headquarters of Afghanistan’s state media in the eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday, setting off clashes that are still underway, officials said. (Photo by MarsRover (en) – traced from “Map of Kabul, Afghanistan – CIA, 1980.jpg” using InkScape, Public Domain,)

KABUL — Gunmen stormed the provincial headquarters of Afghanistan’s state media in the eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday, setting off clashes that are still underway, officials said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the attack began with an explosion, followed by a gun battle with Afghan security forces. He said there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Pashtun Khan, an officer in the Nangarhar police chief’s office, confirmed the battle was underway near the state-run radio and television building in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, saying at least one attacker had been shot and killed.

The state media building is close to the governor’s compound and a police station.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack. Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate are active in Nangarhar, a mountainous province that borders Pakistan.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, three civilians were killed in separate bomb blasts, according to officials.

Qais Qadri, spokesman for the governor of eastern Kapisa province, said that two civilians were killed and two others were wounded in a bomb blast late Tuesday in the Nijrab district.

Samim Khpolwak, spokesman for the governor of the southern Kandahar province, said a civilian was killed and 10 people were wounded, including three policemen, in a double bombing in the provincial capital. No one immediately claimed either attack. The Taliban have stepped up their attacks since announcing their spring offensive last month.