8 killed, 43 hurt in explosion during cricket match in Afghanistan

Kabul: At least eight people were killed and 43 wounded in three consecutive explosions during a cricket match in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, media reported on Saturday.

The blasts occurred around Friday midnight at Jalalabad's Spinghar cricket stadium where hundreds of people had gone to watch a match between local teams, Efe news reported quoting Attaullah Khogyanai, the governor' spokesperson. The injured were admitted to the hospital.

"Three explosions took place among the spectators," said Khogyanai, adding that the nature of the blasts was still not clear. The authorities are investigating the incident, he added.

The spokesperson added that the tournament's organiser was among the dead.

The tournament was organised to coincide with Ramadan and included several local teams from Jalalabad, a city that has witnessed several terror attacks in recent months.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that they did not have a hand in the blasts.

Sports matches at night are uncommon in Afghanistan as they attract a lot of people and can be a target of terror attacks.

In September 2017, four people--including a suicide attacker--died and 12 were wounded near Kabul's main cricket stadium during an important local league match, in which international players were taking part.