KABUL - Top government officials including President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday strongly condemned a suicide blast at a funeral in the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.
Earlier in the day, 15 people were killed and 13 others injured in a suicide blast at the funeral prayer for a former government official in Jalalabad.
Governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Pajhwok Afghan News the suicide bombing took place south of Jalalabad City at the Muqam Khan cemetery.
He added the suicide blast took place at the funeral prayer of Gul Wali, former district chief of Haska Mena.
A statement from the Presidential Palace quoted the president as saying that attacks on religious places of Muslims showed that the enemy of Afghanistan had no respect for Muslims and their holy places.
It added the enemy of Afghanistan had lost the courage to fight with the brave Afghan security forces and thus targeted innocent people. The suicide blast in Jalalabad was part and enemy strategy in which several innocent people were martyred.
Meanwhile, CEO Abdullah also denounced the suicide attack in Jalalabad in a statement from his office. The CEO said terrorists would never reach their targets.
He said terrorists under the cover of Islamic values attacked mosques and other religious places and killed innocent people.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Hanif Atmar and deputy CEO Eng. Mohammad Khan also denounced the attack.