Khost Province of Afghanistan

Khost is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the east of the country. Khost province used to be part of Paktia province in the past. Its capital is Khost City, which was the first Afghan city to be liberated from communist rule during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Security;

On 20 November 2009 a bomb killed 3 civilians and wounded 3 others as a car hit a roadside bomb in Khost City. According to the chief of criminal investigation the act was perpetrated by the Taliban.

On 24 November 2009, according to the Afghan Ministry of Interior, 6 people, including 5 children were killed when a remote control bomb attacked a water station in Khost which had been built by the Rural Rehabilitation Ministry to distribute water to the locals.

On 30 December 2009, a suicide attacker detonated explosives at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Afghan border with Pakistan, killing eight American civilians and wounding others.

Demographics;

The population of 638,849 is primarily Pashtun, and the main tribes are:

Khostwal (clans: Lakkan, Tawizai, Sabari, Shamil, Matun, Mali, Mandozai, Tani and Ismail Khel)

Zadran

Dzadzi

Wazir

Gurboz

Kharsin (Mazdak)

There are Ghilzai Pashtuns in smaller number as well.

District                                              Population 

Bak                                                                  27,675                     

Gurbuz                                                             30,751                      

Jaji Maidan                                                     23,197                      

Khost (Matun)                                                160,214                     

Mandoazi                                                        61,682                       

Musa Khel                                                       41,998                      

Nadir Shah Kot                                              37,193                       

Qalandar                                                        11,406                       

Sabari                                                             89,779                      

Shamal                                                           13,523                       

Spera                                                             26,685            

Tani                                                                67,096             

Tere Zayi

Capital;

Khost

Area;

4,152 km² (1,603 sq mi)

Population;

638,849

Main Language;

Pashto