At least 21 people died and as many as 90 people were injured after a suicide truck bombing in Afghanistan on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENTTwenty-one people died and as many as 90 people were injured after a suicide truck bombing in Afghanistan on Friday.
The truck bomb struck a guest house in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province, in the eastern part of the country.
No one immediately claimed responsibility and it was unclear why the guest house was targeted.
Guest houses are provided free by the government in Afghanistan for use by the poor, travellers and students.
The bombing comes as US and NATO troops are to start withdrawing from Afghanistan.
The Taliban has demanded that all US troops pull out of Afghanistan by May 1 and has not guaranteed the safety of departing troops.
There was no indication that the attack on Friday was linked to the troop withdrawal and there are no US or NATO troops in Logar province.
Rasool Gul Samar, head of the Logar provincial health department, said five bodies were brought to the hospital in Pul-e-Alam, AP reported.
He said that among the dozens of wounded, 12 people who were in critical condition were transferred to the capital, Kabul, for treatment.
Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said the attack was under investigation and that the roof of the guesthouse had collapsed in the bombing. There were fears bodies could be trapped beneath the rubble, he said.
Meanwhile, after 20 years, Washington is ending the war in Afghanistan. Starting on Saturday, the last remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops will begin leaving the country, to be fully out by September 11 at the latest.
The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.