Eight killed in suicide attack on Afghan protesters

Jalalabad: At least eight people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up among protesters in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, an official said, in the latest violence to hit the country.

Another 35 were wounded in the blast in Nangarhar province, where people had blocked a highway in protest over the appointment of a local police chief, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said.

Provincial health department spokesman Inamullah Miakhil gave a slightly lower toll of five dead.

"Dozens of wounded people have been brought to Jalalabad hospitals so far," Miakhil added.

The attack came hours after a double bombing in front of a girls´ school in the provincial capital of Jalalabad killed a boy and wounded four others.

The first explosion happened in front of Malika Omaira girls´ school at around 8:30 am (0400 GMT), Khogyani told AFP earlier.

A second bomb went off as students from a neighbouring boys´ school and locals gathered at the scene, he added.

There has been no claim of responsibility for any of the attacks, but the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) group are active in Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan.