Afghan men carry bodies of people who were killed after insurgents attacked a wedding party in Dur Baba district
The funeral for the nine dead will be held Thursday Reuters

Nine people were shot dead after gunmen stormed a wedding party in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. Five more were injured in the raid.

The event occurred around 1 am Thursday morning. According to Ahmadzia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the provincial governor, the insurgents shot the groom and members of his family while they slept. The attackers also set fire to a nearby house and car.

While no responsible party or motive has been determined, many speculate that it was a Taliban-led attack.

The groom's cousin, a government official in the Dur Baba district, was likely the main target. Militant groups in the region often target political figures, hoping to intimidate anyone friendly to the Afghan administration or to international powers.

The event happened just days after provincial council head Jawad Zehak was found decapitated in Bamiyan.

The enemies of the people of Afghanistan ... are trying to convince people that the Afghan security forces don't have the capability to take over these areas, said Lutfullah Mashal, an official of domestic intelligence agency Amniyat during a press conference Tuesday.

The nine shot at the wedding will be buried today.

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