2nd LD Writethru: 7 killed, 37 injured in car bomb blast in S. Afghan city

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Seven people, including an assailant, were killed and 37 others wounded after a car bomb explosion rocked Kandahar city, capital of Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, on Tuesday, a provincial health official said.

"The latest figures showed that seven people were killed and 37 injured after the huge explosion in Kandahar city on Tuesday," Abdul Qaum Pakhla, chairman of Mirwais regional hospital in Kandahar, told Xinhua.

Those injured included military personnel and civilians, among whom were four children, while some of the wounded are in critical condition, he noted.

"The huge blast occurred in Police District 14 of the city at around 12:30 p.m. local time. The whole place has now been sealed off. The blast caused a plume of gray smoke to rise above the scene," an eyewitness told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, a local official who requested anonymity told Xinhua that the security forces tried to intercept a suicide bomber setting in a minibus after intelligence reports found the terrorist, but the man detonated his vehicle causing the explosion.

The blast took place in Fabrika Sarai locality, near Hazrat Je Baba Square, a populated location of the city, he said, adding the blast also damaged several nearby shops and houses.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Over the past a few months, Afghanistan has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the Islamic State and Taliban insurgents. Enditem