Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate detonated a roadside bomb in eastern Nangarhar province killing five border police and wounding four others, a statement issued on Friday by the insurgent group said.
The vehicle carrying the officers struck the mine in Achin District on Thursday, police officer Qais Saifi told The Associated Press.
Even before the IS issued its statement claiming responsibility, Safi had suspected the group, saying it regularly plants roadside bombs to target Afghan officials and security forces.
The dead were all under 20 years old and mostly Shiite Muslims.
The IS affiliate has warned Afghanistan’s minority Shiites that they are targets. The radical IS views Shiites as apostates.
According to the IS statement, an explosive device was detonated and a police Humvee was destroyed.
It said another explosive device was detonated among those troops who came to the scene killing five of them, including a squadron leader, and wounding five others.
Afghan officials reported only one explosion.
