Bomb targets Taliban, kills two in IS-K hub

A roadside bomb struck a Taliban patrol in a stronghold of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding three, witnesses said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of previous IS strikes against the Taliban.

The two groups are bitter rivals, and IS has stepped up attacks since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August.

Wednesday’s bomb went off in the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

A Taliban district commander in the city confirmed the blast and said four Taliban fighters were wounded. The commander, who identified himself as Mubariz did not provide details about those killed in the attack, saying the investigation continues.

The Jalalabad attack came a day after IS attackers set off an explosion at the gate of a 400-bed military hospital in the capital of Kabul, killing three women, a child and three Taliban guards. Five assailants were also killed in the attack. Initial reports said 25 were killed in the attack.

Taliban ban US dollars

The Taliban government has banned the use of foreign currencies in Afghanistan in a surprise move that could weigh on an economy struggling with a cash crunch and further isolate the country.

The militant group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the Afghans should use the local currency in view of the economic situation. Much of Afghanistan’s local trade is done in US dollars.