30 Killed, Dozens Injured in Car Bomb Eastern Afghanistan

A huge car bomb blast killed at least 30 people and injured dozens in Afghanistan’s eastern Logar province, officials said on Friday.

The car exploded in Logar’s capital of Pul-e Alam near the home of the former head of the provincial council and not far from a hospital, Didar Lawang, the spokesman for Logar’s governor, said.

On his part, Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian announced that the death toll from Friday’s blast could rise.

Head of Logar’s provincial council Hasibullah Stanekzai mentioned that about 60 people were injured. In addition, a ministry of health spokesman said around 40 people had been taken to hospital, some in a critical condition.

No group has claimed any responsibility for the blast until now.

Violence in Afghanistan has escalated in recent weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would withdraw troops by September 11 to end two decades of foreign military presence.

Accordingly, the announcement angered the Taliban who had signed a deal with former U.S. President Donald Trump that specified troops would be gone from the country by May 1 subject to certain security guarantees.