JALALABAD: A lawyer who prosecuted Taliban militants was among 17 wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan’s east yesterday, police said, a day after a deadly attack on the Indian consulate in the city.
The attacks underscore a recent trend of assaults by insurgents against foreign targets, as well as institutions perceived to be backed by the West.
Deputy provincial police chief Masoom Khan Hashimi said the bomb was detonated by remote control and the attackers had not yet been identified.
Abdul Qayyum is well-known in Jalalabad for his work prosecuting Taliban fighters, with insurgents attacking his family several times recently.
His brother was killed three months ago, while Qayyum survived an attempt on his life shortly afterwards.
Seriously wounded, Qayyum was taken to a nearby hospital and was still conscious, Hashimi said, adding the bomb exploded as a vehicle passed carrying the state prosecutor. The injured included his driver, four guards and 10 civilians.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing.
Attacks against the judiciary and other government institutions which insurgents say are propped up by the West increased by 76 percent in the first six months of this year, according to a UN report.
They have reinforced fears that a bloody regional power struggle could play out once most foreign troops leave by the end of 2014.
India and Pakistan have long jockeyed for power in Afghanistan and observers see the struggle intensifying as Nato-led troops leave and hand security responsibility back to under-prepared Afghan forces. Agencies
