A suicide bomber struck in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday, killing at least 19 people in the second attack in as many days targeting Taliban fighters, security forces and civilians celebrating a holiday cease-fire. The Taliban later rejected an extension of the cease-fire.
Residences take picture with a Taliban fighter in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gal)
Najibullah Kamawal, director of the provincial health department, said another 60 people were wounded in the attack, which struck a crowd of people as they left the governor's compound.
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A suicide bomber struck in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday, killing at least 19 people in the second attack in as many days targeting Taliban fighters, security forces and civilians celebrating a holiday cease-fire. The Taliban later rejected an extension of the cease-fire.
Najibullah Kamawal, director of the provincial health department, said another 60 people were wounded in the attack, which struck a crowd of people as they left the governor's compound.
The bomber on Saturday targeted a gathering of Taliban fighters who were celebrating a three-day truce coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
"We hope that the extension of the cease-fire will be announced by the leadership of the Taliban," Mohammad Karim Khalili told a news conference in the capital, Kabul. He said there had been an "exchange of views" between the government and the Taliban over the past week, without elaborating.
The Taliban's statement added that their cease-fire was for their fighters to celebrate the holiday peacefully and not in response to the government's cease-fire announcement.
EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT -- A wounded man is carried after a deadly suicide attack struck a crowd of people as they left the governor's compound, in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 17, 2018. The suicide bomber on Sunday, killed at least 18 people in the second attack in as many days targeting Taliban fighters, security forces and civilians celebrating a holiday cease-fire. (AP Photo/Mohammad Anwar Danishya)
Taliban fighters ride their motorbikes inside Ghazni city, capital of Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, killing 21 people and wounding another 41, said the Nangarhar provincial Police Chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai. Most of the dead and wounded were believed to be Taliban, he said. (AP Photo)
Saturday's attack, which also took place in Jalalabad, killed at least 36 people and wounded 65, according to Kamawal, director of the provincial health department.
No one has claimed the attacks, but they appeared to be the work of the Islamic State group, which is not included in the cease-fire and has clashed with the Taliban in the past. The local IS affiliate has a strong presence in the province.
Taliban fighters greet residences in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gal)
The bomber on Saturday targeted a gathering of Taliban fighters who were celebrating a three-day truce coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
After the attack, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a nine-day extension of the cease-fire.
The chairman of the High Peace Council, a government body charged with negotiating an end to the nearly 17-year war, called on the Taliban to accept the extended cease-fire and join the peace process.
Taliban fighters ride in their vehicle in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gal)
"We hope that the extension of the cease-fire will be announced by the leadership of the Taliban," Mohammad Karim Khalili told a news conference in the capital, Kabul. He said there had been an "exchange of views" between the government and the Taliban over the past week, without elaborating.
But later Sunday the Taliban announced that their cease-fire had ended and they had no intention of extending it. "The cease-fire was announced by the Taliban for just the three days of the Eid holidays, which have come to an end this Sunday evening," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement. "All Mujahidin (Taliban) should continue their operations against foreign invaders and their puppets,"
Taliban fighters ride in their vehicle in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gal)
The Taliban's statement added that their cease-fire was for their fighters to celebrate the holiday peacefully and not in response to the government's cease-fire announcement.
The Taliban have steadily expanded their presence in recent years, seizing a number of districts across the country and carrying out near-daily attacks on Afghan security forces. But over the past two days Taliban fighters could be seen celebrating the truce alongside Afghan troops and other people in a number of locations.
Taliban leaders have at different times expressed interest in holding peace talks to end the conflict. But they have refused to meet with the U.S.-backed government, saying they will only negotiate with the United States directly. They have also demanded the withdrawal of all foreign forces.
A wounded man is brought by stretcher into a hospital in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr according to Nangarhar provincial Police Chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai. Most of the dead and wounded were believed to be Taliban, he said. (AP Photo/Mohammad Anwar Danishyar)
EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT -- A wounded man is carried after a deadly suicide attack struck a crowd of people as they left the governor's compound, in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 17, 2018. The suicide bomber on Sunday, killed at least 18 people in the second attack in as many days targeting Taliban fighters, security forces and civilians celebrating a holiday cease-fire. (AP Photo/Mohammad Anwar Danishya)
Taliban fighters ride their motorbikes inside Ghazni city, capital of Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 16, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday as mostly Taliban fighters gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, killing 21 people and wounding another 41, said the Nangarhar provincial Police Chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai. Most of the dead and wounded were believed to be Taliban, he said. (AP Photo)
MOSCOW (AP) — Nearly 12,000 houses have been flooded in a Russian region bordering Kazakhstan as water levels in the Ural River keep rising and threatening more deluge, authorities said Thursday.
The floods sparked evacuations of thousands in the Orenburg region, located some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), southeast of the capital of Moscow after a dam on the river burst last week under the pressure of surging waters. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency in the region.
In a televised videoconference with President Vladimir Putin, Orenburg governor Denis Pasler reported that a total of 11,972 houses are flooded, as well as 16 state medical facilities. Additionally, 3,600 houses — home to some 20,000 people — are in danger of imminent flooding as water levels continue to rise.
The situation is most dire in the city of Orenburg, the administrative capital of the region, Pasler said, where the water level in the Ural River reached a historical peak of 10.87 meters (about 36 feet).
A total of 7,800 people have been evacuated from the flooded areas so far, he added. The overall damage from the floods is estimated to exceed 40 billion rubles ($428 million).
Further east along the Kazakhstan border, authorities in the regions of Kurgan and Tyumen are also preparing for possible floods as water levels rise in local rivers.
Floods have also hit Kazakhstan, where authorities have declared a state of emergency in 10 out of 17 regions of the country, according to Russia's state news agency Tass. As of Thursday, the state of emergency was still in place in eight regions, Tass reported. Since March, more than 98,000 people have been evacuated from the affected areas there.
Footage from the flooded regions in Kazakhstan showed water gushing down streets, vast fields covered with water and dozens of houses partially submerged. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called the floods “a natural disaster ... the likes of which have not been seen for many years.”
“This is, perhaps, the biggest disaster in terms of its scale and consequences in over 80 years,” he said last week.
Local residents ride their rubber boat to help in evacuations people from a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A couple sits on stairs watching a flooded area around the Stele Europe - Asia, showing the border between Europe and Asia, in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A man rides his rubber boat to help local residents during evacuations from a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A man prepares to ride his rubber boat to help local residents during evacuations from a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A woman takes a photo of a flooded area next to Ural river in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Local residents watch a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A woman takes a photo standing behind a rubber dam at a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A refrigerator floats in a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Local residents prepare their pony to cross a flooded area by boat in Orenburg, Russia, Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A view of a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Two local residents are going ride a rubber boat to leave a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Local residents stay on a pedestrian bridge crossing the overflowing Ural River in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Two men ride a boat in a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Two men ride a boat as they deliver food in a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
A woman carries her pat leaving a boat in a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Two men ride a boat delivering food in a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Local residents stand at a barriers watching a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Local residents stand at barriers watching a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
Russian Emergency Situation Ministry rescuers ride a boat to help local residents during evacuations from a flooded area in Orenburg, Russia, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Russian officials are scrambling to help homeowners displaced by floods, as water levels have risen in the Ural River. The river's water level in the city of Orenburg was above 10 meters (33 feet) Wednesday, state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the regional governor. (AP Photo)
