An Afghan security officer patrols during ongoing clashes between government forces and Islamic State (IS) militants in Nangarhar, one of three provinces along Afghanistan's porous border with Pakistan where IS has been active in recent months.
The case underscores the ongoing threat from militants in Afghanistan, where IS fighters appear to have been building a presence for more than two years as they compete with the Taliban to spearhead antigovernment and anti-Western efforts. IS devotees have claimed responsibility for a number of recent deadly attacks against Afghan civilians and security forces.
The would-be bomber reportedly remains in custody, and the details of the case were provided to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan by Afghan authorities. They say her husband, Qari Zia, is a former Taliban commander from Jowzjan Province who crossed over to IS and is now based in the extremists' stronghold of Nangarhar, in eastern Afghanistan.
"Qari Zia...encouraged his wife to carry out a suicide attack," Rahmatullah Turkistani, the police commander of Jowzjan Province, said. "He wanted his wife to come to Nangarhar to receive training in preparation for a suicide attack."
Turkistani said the woman was traveling to Nangarhar when she surrendered to security forces in Jowzjan's provincial capital, Sheberghan. She is being held in a women's shelter in the city while police investigate her claims. The police commander said Zia had repeatedly telephoned his wife to urge her to go to Nangarhar's provincial capital, Jalalabad, where authorities believe he is hiding.
Comment: Further reading: