(RTTNews) - The governor of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, Gul Agha Sherzai, has survived an assassination attempt in the city of Jalalabad on Monday, said officials.

According to a provincial government spokesman, two gunmen armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades made an attempt to assassinate Sherzai at the venue of an information technology conference near the governor's office in the city of Jalalabad.

The spokesman said the assassination attempt took place when the governor's motorcade arrived at the venue. One of the assailants was killed in a shoot-out with the security forces, while the second one was arrested. The governor escaped the attempt unhurt.

Sherzai is a former cabinet minister and has also served as the governor of the southern Kandahar province, a Taliban stronghold. He is said to be a close ally of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and is currently the governor of the Nangarhar province, which is considered to the most prosperous provinces in Afghanistan.