Afghan suicide blast kills three

JALALABAD: A suicide bomber in Afghanistan on Monday killed three civilians and injured five others in an attack near a government office, officials said.

The blast took place close to the district government compound in Qarghayi, Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan.

"Three civilians were killed and another five civilians were wounded in the suicide attack today," provincial spokesman Faizanullah Pattan told AFP. He blamed the attack on enemies of Afghanistan, a term often used to refer to Taliban militants who have waged a bloody insurgency against Afghan and international forces for nearly 10 years.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive just over a week ago.