Iran-made bomb used in Khost attack

Monitoring Desk

KHOST: Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) head Gulbadin Hekmatyar on Monday claimed the bomb that exploded near the public meeting he addressed in southeastern Khost province was made in Iran. After the explosion on Sunday, Hekmatyar told a press conference in Khost the enemy wanted to disrupt the gathering but the bomb went off far from the participants of the gathering.

“I’ve received information that the bomb was manufactured in Iran. Our security forces may have found the bomb pieces and obtained other evidence,” he said.

The device exploded outside the football stadium where Hekmatyar was delivering his speech. However, security officers said the blast took place in a leather shop.

He said that Daesh — the so called Islamic State (IS) — militants probably had connections with Iran because Iraq and Syria-based rebels could enter Afghanistan through the neighbouring country.

Hekmatyar also stressed the need for holding transparent Wolesi Jirga and district council elections on schedule to steer the country out of the crisis. He said the election process should be free of fraud and attended by people from all communities and tribes. A cut in the number of polling stations in some provinces was unacceptable, he concluded.