JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three civilians have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar overnight, the provincial governor office said on Sunday.
"Three innocent civilians were brutally martyred by Daesh (IS) in Zagho area of Chaparhar district, south of provincial capital Jalalabad city, at around 9 p.m. Saturday," it said in a statement.
Among the killed civilians were a newly-wed groom named Bilal, who got married a week ago, and a local high school student, who was expected to graduate later this year, the statement read.
The motive behind the killing remained unknown but Afghan officials blame Taliban and IS for targeting civilians in order to terrorize the villagers in remote areas.
The mountainous province, 120 km east of Kabul, has been the scene of clashes between security forces and IS militants since the emergence of IS there in early 2015.
Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as more than 1,660 civilians were killed and over 3,580 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.
