People stand around the coffins of victims in a militant attack in Ghazni city, capital of eastern Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on Nov. 9, 2020. Eight women and children were killed, and four children and three women wounded after three mortar shells fired by Taliban militants to strike Police District 6 of Ghazni city, capital of eastern Ghazni province late on Sunday, the local government confirmed. (Photo by Rohullah/Xinhua)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least five people, including an assailant, were killed and two dozen others wounded in a massive car bomb blast hitting Maiwand district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Sunday night, local police confirmed on Monday.
The incident occurred when an assailant driving an explosive-laden truck detonated the vehicle outside a highway police camp near Maiwand district bazaar roughly at 8:00 p.m. local time on Sunday, district police who declined to be named told Xinhua.
"Two women, one child, a man and a suicide bomber were killed and 24 people, including 13 police and 11 civilians, were wounded. The wounded were transported to a regional hospital in provincial capital Kandahar city," he said.
The number of casualties may rise as the deadly explosion caused massive destruction, destroying the camp's building, several nearby houses and shops, he added.
Earlier in the day, Jamal Barakzai, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua that a woman and an attacker were killed and 16 people were wounded in the lethal explosion in the region, 450 km south of Kabul.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. However, local officials blamed the Taliban militant group for the attack.
The security situation has been improving in Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban, over the past months, as government security forces have conducted search and cordon operations across the province. But the militants attack government interests in the province from time to time.
In a separate development, eight women and children were killed, and four children and three women wounded after three mortar shells fired by Taliban militants to strike Police District 6 of Ghazni city, capital of eastern Ghazni province late on Sunday, the local government confirmed.
In eastern Paktia province, a suicide car bomber, who tried to assault a police station, detonated the car bomb after police intercepted and fired on his vehicle in Police District 3 of provincial capital Gardez city also late on Sunday.
The assailant was killed in the explosion and a mosque and several houses and parts of the police station were damaged by the force of the blast.
