A suicide bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province on Tuesday afternoon killed at least 19 people and injured more than 55 people, ToloNews reported. Some reports, however, claimed that 22 people have died. The toll is expected to rise.

The attacker targeted a protest gathering in Mohmand Dara district. Hundreds of people had gathered to block a highway in protest against the appointment of a local police chief, provincial governor spokesperson Ataullah Khogyani said.

Nangarhar province, which is on Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, has been among the country’s most volatile regions this year. Its provincial capital Jalalabad has faced several suicide bombings and attacks.

No terrorist organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.