At least twelve people were killed and almost 90 were injured as eight Taliban militants exploded two car bombs and stormed police headquarters in the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, the office of Kandahar governor said in a statement on Thursday

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) At least twelve people were killed and almost 90 were injured as eight Taliban militants exploded two car bombs and stormed police headquarters in the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan , the office of Kandahar governor said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, a source told Sputnik that at least nine people had been killed and over 50 injured in the attack.

"There were two detonated car bombs, which killed three policemen and wounded three others. [At least] 89 civilians were killed or wounded in the attack. Nine civilians were killed and 80 more wounded, four women and 11 children among those wounded," the statement says.

According to local officials, the attack started at around 4 p.m. local time (noon GMT) and lasted for at least two hours.�

Photos published in social media show black plumes of smoke billowing from the police headquarters building.

Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that dozens of soldiers have been killed so far.

Taliban has recently intensified its attacks in the country. Afghan government carries out regular security raids against the insurgents as part of a lengthy civil conflict between the parties. </s> Twelve people were killed and more than 80 injured when Taliban fighters detonated two car bombs at a gate outside police headquarters in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Militant gunman then opened fire from nearby positions and members of the security forces were battling them, according to Tadeen Khan, the southern city’s chief of police. The attackers targeted the police force’s counter-narcotics wing, he said.

Three back-to-back explosions followed the first blast, eyewitnesses said.

The Taliban said in a statement their fighters had detonated car bombs and clashes were continuing as some fighters had entered police offices. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - Twelve people were killed and more than 80 wounded when Taliban fighters detonated two car bombs at a gate outside police headquarters in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Thursday, police and medical officials and the Taliban said.

An Afghan police officer keeps watch near the site of a suicide car bomb blast in Kandahar, Afghanistan July 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Sameem NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

After the blasts, militant gunman opened fire from nearby positions and members of the security forces were battling them, said Tadeen Khan, the southern city’s chief of police.

The attackers targeted the police force’s counter-narcotics wing, Khan said.

Eyewitnesses said that following the first explosion, three back-to-back explosions were heard and the gunfight was still going on.

Police cordoned off the area as passers-by fled.

Those killed were both policemen and civilians, said Bahir Ahmadi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, giving the death toll.

A doctor on duty in Kandahar provincial hospital said 83 wounded people had been taken to the hospital, most of them civilians.

The Taliban said in a statement their fighters had detonated car bombs and clashes were continuing as some fighters had entered the police offices.

Kandahar was the former seat of the Taliban when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until they were ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.

The militants have fought on and while U.S. officials and Taliban militants have been discussing a peace deal since late last year to end the war, the violence has not abated.

At least 20 Afghan forces members were killed in a Taliban ambush in Abkamari district in western Badghis province on Wednesday.

The Taliban also killed an Afghan commander on Wednesday in central Afghanistan. Mateen Mujtaba, who headed an army division in Ghazni province, was conducting a security check in Qarabagh district when an Afghan soldier started shooting.

Officials said the soldier was an infiltrator of the hardline Islamist group. </s> An Afghan policeman keeps watch at the site of a blast near Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan July 19, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

KABUL (Reuters) - A powerful bomb blast outside the gates of Kabul University in the Afghan capital on Friday killed at least eight people and wounded 33, as students and lawyers waited to take an examination, officials said.

Taliban militants are carrying out almost daily attacks, despite reported progress in efforts by the United States to broker an end to Afghanistan’s nearly 18-year war.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday’s blast. On Thursday Taliban insurgents set off two car bombs outside police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar, killing at least 12 and wounding more than 80.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he was not aware of any Taliban involvement in Friday’s attack.

Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said there were students among the 33 injured taken to hospital after the blast, which a student at the university campus said occurred while some were waiting to take a law exam.

An eyewitness and an interior ministry official said a vehicle caught fire after a bomb stuck to its underside exploded.

“The blast happened when hundreds of students were entering the campus. We were scheduled to appear for the law exam but the blast shook all of us,” said Karima Wardak, a student at the Kabul University.

A police team defused a second bomb placed near the explosion site, Kabul police spokesman Faramarz Firdaws said.

Also on Friday, a roadside mine killed five people who were riding in a car in central Ghazni province. </s> At least nine people have been killed and 60 more injured in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan, Pajhwok news agency reported on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) At least nine people have been killed and 60 more injured in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan , Pajhwok news agency reported on Thursday.

Photos released on social media show black plumes of smoke billowing from the place of the alleged attack.

Earlier in the day, Jamal Naseer Barakzai, the spokesman of the police command, told Sputnik that a group of Taliban gunmen attacked the police command in Kandahar after detonating an explosive-laden vehicle close to the building.

Local sources have reported at least two explosions, while the official confirmed one to Sputnik. </s> At least nine people have been killed and over 50 injured in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan, a source told Sputnik on Thursday

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) At least nine people have been killed and over 50 injured in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan , a source told Sputnik on Thursday.

"So far nine people have been killed and more than 50 have been wounded in the attack," the source said.

Photos released on social media show black plumes of smoke billowing from the place of the alleged attack.

Earlier in the day, Jamal Naseer Barakzai, the spokesman of the police command, told Sputnik that a group of Taliban gunmen attacked the police command in Kandahar after detonating an explosive-laden vehicle close to the building.

Local sources have reported at least two explosions, while the official confirmed one to Sputnik. </s> Kabul: At least eight people have been killed and 33 others injured after an explosion struck near the south entrance to Kabul University, Afghanistan’s Health Ministry said on Friday.

Dr. Wahidullah Mayar, the Health Ministry spokesman, wrote on Twitter that eight died and another 33 people were wounded in Friday’s explosion.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility and it was not clear if the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber or remotely detonated.

Ferdous Faramarz, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said two vehicles caught fire after the blast. He said police defused a second bomb that was placed close to the explosion site.

The explosion occurred as students were waiting outside Kabul University to attend exams.

The blast came after at least 12 people were killed and almost 90 wounded on July 18 when Taliban militants detonated two car bombs at a gate outside police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar.

After the car bombs, Taliban gunmen opened fire from nearby positions, triggering a battle with security forces, said Tadeen Khan, the city’s police chief. The attackers targeted the counternarcotics wing of the police, Khan said. </s> A car bomb exploded at a gate of police headquarters in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar on Thursday, a police official said.

“Militants detonated a car loaded with explosives, and some gunmen have entered the buildings around our main office,” said a police official requesting anonymity.

No militant group has claimed responsibility so far. There was no immediate word on casualties. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban fighters detonated a car bomb at a gate of police headquarters in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Thursday, wounding at least 20 people, police and medical officials and the Taliban said.

After the blast, militant gunman opened fire from nearby positions and members of the security forces were battling them, said Tadeen Khan, the southern city’s chief of police.

The attackers targeted the police force’s counter-narcotics wing, Khan said.

Police cordoned off the area as passersby fled.

A doctor on duty in Kandahar provincial hospital said 20 wounded people had been taken to the hospital, most of them members of the security forces.

The Taliban said in a statement their fighters had detonated a car bomb and clashes were continuing as some fighters had entered the police offices.

Kandahar was the former seat of the Taliban when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until they were ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.

The militants have fought on and while U.S. officials and Taliban militants have been discussing a peace deal since late last year to end the war, the violence has not abated.

At least 20 Afghan forces members were killed in a Taliban ambush in Abkamari district in western Badghis province on Wednesday.

The Taliban also killed an Afghan commander on Wednesday in central Afghanistan. Mateen Mujtaba, who headed an army division in Ghazni province, was conducting a security check in Qarabagh district when an Afghan soldier started shooting.

Officials said the soldier was an infiltrator of the hardline Islamist group.
Twelve people are killed and over 80 injured by two car bombs at a gate outside police headquarters in Kandahar, Afghanistan.