Armed men stormed an Afghan prison on Sunday evening in Jalalabad (East) after detonating a vehicle, killing at least one, according to a provincial official who said the fighting was still ongoing.
Read also: Afghanistan: the leader of the Taliban accuses Washington of obstructing the peace process
This attack, in which the Taliban insurgents have denied any responsibility, breaks a relative calm across the country, where no clashes had been noted since the start of a three-day truce decreed by the government and the Taliban in Friday. the occasion of the Muslim festivities of Eid al-Adha.
“This attack is not our fault. Our mujahedin are not yet authorized to carry out attacks, ”Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgents, told AFP.
According to Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesperson for Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is the capital, "the attackers (...) first detonated a car near the security perimeter of the prison".
A civilian was killed and 24 wounded were taken to the provincial hospital, said the spokesperson of the establishment, Zaher Adel. Attackers, disguised as members of the security forces, entered the prison, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that "twelve prisoners were arrested by the security forces as they tried to escape".
The respect for the last 72 hours for the truce between the Taliban and the Afghan authorities, only the third official break in the fighting in two decades of conflict, raised hopes for a breakthrough in the timid peace process recently started.
Read also: Afghanistan: at least 11 dead in a Taliban attack
President Ashraf Ghani and the insurgents have hinted that talks between the government and the Taliban could begin after Eid.
