Roundup: Militants' bombing claims 33 lives, gov't forces kill 18 militants

A suicide car bomb conducted by anti- government militants claimed 33 lives including the attacker in Afghanistan's southeastern Khost province on Sunday, while the government forces have killed 18 militants since Sunday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Monday.

The death toll from Sunday's suicide car bomb in Khost province has risen to 33 with 23 others injured, the provincial government said Monday in a statement sent to media outlets. Almost all the victims are civilians.

"Death toll of the suicide car bomb attack which occurred Sunday evening in Khost city has increased to 33 people, including 27 civilians and six Afghan security personnel," the statement asserted.

The attack took place after a militant detonated his explosive- laden car near the gate of the Chapman Camp, a base of the NATO- led Resolute Support mission forces in Khost, a security source said on Sunday, adding that no foreign military personnel were harmed in the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

However, the Interior Ministry in a statement released here Monday termed the attack in Khost city as a coward terrorist one conducted by the enemies, a reference to the Taliban militants and condemned it in its strongest term.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 24 when the militant group launched its so-called annual spring offensive in the war-battered Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghan police backed by the army and intelligence agency have killed 18 Taliban militants during series of operations across the conflict-ridden country over the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Monday.

"Units of police backed by the army and the National Directorate for Security have conducted series of anti-terrorism joint operations in Kunduz, Faryab, Kandahar, Takhar, Samangan, Oruzgan, Kapisa, Maidan Wardak, Paktiya, Farah and Helmand provinces since Sunday leaving 18 armed insurgents dead," the statement of the interior ministry added.

One more insurgent has been injured and nine others captured during the operations, the statement said.

Taliban-led militancy has been on rise since April and the militants have been challenging government forces in different parts of the country to gain ground. Endi