Afghanistan: At least 12 killed in Jalalabad suicide attack

At least 12 people have been reported killed and four others injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a checkpoint in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

A spokesman of Nangarhar provincial governor told Al Jazeera that among the casualties in the attack on Tuesday were two security personnel.

Kabul-based news website, Tolo News, reported that the eight other fatalities were civilians.

According to Tolo, several shops and vehicles close to the explosion were also destroyed in the fire that followed the blast.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the violence.

Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, has been the scene of numerous attacks recently as armed rebels step up activity in the restive region.

Afghan security forces have struggled to battle the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group since the US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission in the country in 2014 and shifted their focus to a support and counterterrorism role.

The latest attack in Jalalabad killed at least 19 people on July 1.

Last year, the US pledged to increase its support to struggling Afghan forces, announcing plans for thousands of additional advisers and increasing air raids in a bid to force the Taliban to enter peace negotiations.