Four killed in Afghan aid agency attack

Four people are dead and at least 12 others are injured in an attack on the offices of aid agency Save the Children in Afghanistan.

The scene of the blast in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Four people have been killed in an attack on the offices of Save the Children in Afghanistan. (AAP)

At least four people have been killed after gunmen attacked the office of the Save the Children aid agency in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

The dead include one civilian, one Afghan security force member, and two attackers, Nangarhar provincial governor spokesman Attaullah Khugyani said.

At least 12 others have been wounded, Khugyani said, adding that nine of those injured have been discharged after treatment.

Some witnesses said the attackers appeared to have been wearing police uniform, a commonly used tactic.

"An explosion rocked the area and right after that children and people started running away," said Ghulam Nabi, who was nearby when the bomb exploded. "I saw a vehicle catch fire and then a gunfight started."

Islamic State later claimed responsibility according to the militant group's news agency Amaq, though it did not provide immediate evidence.

Amaq said the operation involved a car bomb and three other attacks that targeted British, Swedish, and Afghani government institutions in Jalalabad, without providing further details.

"We are devastated at the news that our Save the Children office in Jalalabad city, Afghanistan, came under attack this morning as armed men entered the building, about 9am today local time," a Save the Children spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

"Our primary concern is for the safety and security of our staff. We are awaiting further information from our team and cannot comment further at this time."

There are several other aid groups and government offices in the immediate area, and security forces evacuated people from surrounding buildings while they exchanged fire with the militants.


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Source: AAP



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