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Taliban Truck Bomb Kills At Least Three, Wounds Dozens In Afghanistan


Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid (file photo)
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid (file photo)

KABUL (Reuters) -- A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least three people and wounded 27 on October 16 when he set off explosives in a truck near a police headquarters in Afghanistan, according to officials.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed in a statement that the militants had used a large truck packed with explosives in the attack in the eastern province of Laghman.

Assadullah Dawlatzai, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the wounded included 20 children studying at a religious school.

"The explosion was huge," Dawlatzai said.

The number of casualties may rise as rescuers search the ruins of buildings destroyed by the blast.

"With the rescue teams, we are still looking for bodies under the rubble,” said Obaidullah, a resident of the area.

The attack came during a relative lull in violence after a presidential election last month that saw a surge in attacks by the Taliban, who denounced the vote as a sham.

The United Nations said 85 civilians were killed in election-related Taliban violence.

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