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Roundup: Suicide car bomb kills 7, wounds 10 in E. Afghan province

Xinhua, August 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Amid government forces' mounting pressure on Taliban militants in the northern and eastern provinces, a suicide car bomb had left seven people including the attacker dead and 10 more others injured in the eastern Logar province with Pul-e-Alam as its capital 60 km south of Kabul on Thursday, a security official said. "A suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden vehicle blew it up next to a base of Special Police Force in Pul-e-Alam town at 07:15 a.m. local time on Thursday killing himself and six others including three civilians,"General Abdul Raziq told Xinhua.

Ten more people including police and civilians sustained injuries in the deadly suicide bombing, he said, adding that casualties may go up.

Meantime, Haseeb Stanikzai, head of Logar Provincial Council, said several houses around including the building of Provincial Council were also damaged in the blast.

Local officials have blamed Taliban militants for organizing the suicide bombing.

However, the armed outfit which is largely relying on suicide and roadside bombing, in contact with media outlets has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying several security personnel were killed in the bombing.

This is the first suicide bombing conducted by Taliban militants since the confirmation of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar last Thursday.

Afghan government last Wednesday announced that Mullah Omar died in Karachi city of Pakistan in 2013.

A day later, Taliban outfit confirmed the death of their elusive leader Mullah Omar.

Omar's death has splinted Taliban militants at least in two groups as some made allegiance to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, a senior member of the outfit's leadership council; while several others challenging Mansoor, lobby for Omar's son Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, 27 to replace his father.

Following Mullah Omar's death, the Afghan government's forces began exerting pressure on Taliban fighters in the northern and eastern provinces.

More than 100 armed insurgents, according to media reports, have been killed in the eastern Nangarhar and northern Kunduz, Badakhshan, Faryab and Saripul provinces since weekend. Endi