Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills 33, Wounds 100; Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attack

A motorcycle-riding suicide bomber attacked a bank branch in eastern Afghanistan today (April 18, 2015), killing at least 33 people in a deadly attack the country's president said was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, according to the USA Today website.

The attack marks a major escalation in the country's fight against an affiliate of the Muslim extremist IS group that now controls a third of Iraq and Syria in its self-declared caliphate.

The attack in Jalalabad -- capital of eastern Nagarhar province -- targeted a crowd of soldiers and civilians gathered outside a bank to receive their monthly salaries. The blast killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 100, said Dr. Hamayon Zaheer, the head of Jalalabad's hospital.

A few hours after the attack, President Ashraf Ghani blamed the Islamic State group -- not the Taliban -- for the suicide bombing.