Several killed as attackers target Taliban in eastern Afghanistan

Attackers have struck Taliban vehicles in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least two fighters and three civilians in the latest violence since the group's takeover of the country in mid-August.

In one attack, gunmen opened fire on a Taliban vehicle at a local gas station on Wednesday in the provincial capital of Jalalabad, killing two fighters and a gas station attendant, witnesses said. 

A child was also killed, they added.

Children among dead

Another child was killed and two Taliban members were wounded in a bombing of another vehicle in a separate attack.

Another bombing of a Taliban vehicle in Jalalabad also wounded a person nearby, although it was unclear if that person was a Taliban official or not.

The witnesses spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

No one claimed immediate responsibility for Wednesday's attacks, although Daesh-K, which is headquartered in eastern Afghanistan, took responsibility for similar attacks in Jalalabad last week that killed eight.

Specter of wider conflict

The Taliban and Daesh are enemies, and the attacks have raised the specter of wider conflict between the country's new Taliban rulers and their long-time rivals.

The Taliban is under pressure to contain Daesh terrorists, in part to make good on a promise to the international community that they will prevent the staging of terror attacks from Afghan soil. 

There is also a widely held expectation among conflict-weary Afghans that, despite fears and misgivings about the Taliban, the new rulers will at least restore a measure of public safety.