KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Attackers gunned down a policewoman on Thursday in eastern Afghanistan as she was headed to work, provincial officials said, the latest targeted killing in the war-torn country.
Provincial police spokesman Fared Khan said the officer shot in the city of Jalalabad was wounded but later died at the hospital. Two suspects have been arrested by police.
Afghanistan has seen a nationwide spike in bombings, targeted killings, and violence on the battlefield as peace negotiations in Qatar between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled.
The attack comes three days after another incident in Jalalabad in which three women working to administer polio vaccines in the city were killed.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks in Jalalabad, but eastern Afghanistan has witnessed an increase of attacks by the Islamic State group.
Earlier last month, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the killing of another three women who worked for a local radio and TV station, also in Jalalabad.
Many other attacks have gone unclaimed. The government blames most on a resurgent Taliban, who today hold sway over nearly half the country. The Taliban, in turn, deny any role in some of the attacks and blame the government.
In a separate incident in southern Helmand province, an army Black Hawk helicopter made an emergency landing overnight, causing the death of three troops, the defense ministry said in a statement. Earlier the ministry had said no one was hurt in the incident.
The Taliban said they shot down the aircraft, but the ministry’s statement insisted it conducted an emergency landing due to technical problems.
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