8 civilians injured in blast in eastern Afghanistan

JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- At least eight civilians were wounded after an explosion went off near a health clinic in Jalalabad City, capital of AFGHANISTAN's eastern Nangarhar Province on Monday, a local official said.

"Those among the injured were three women and three children and all the wounded were shifted to provincial hospital by police and rescue team," provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Xinhua.

The blast occurred in the Chaw-e-Mukhabarat neighborhood in Police District 1 of the City in the morning. Several shops and offices were also damaged, he said, adding that the injured did not sustained life-threatening wounds.

The likely target of the explosion remained unknown. But Khogyani noted that an investigation is underway.

Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as more than 3,800 civilians were killed and over 7,180 others injured in conflict-related incidents in 2018, according to figures of the United Nations mission in the country.