At least 12 people have died and dozens injured in a suicide car bombing in Afghanistan’s Ghazni city, according to officials on Sunday.
The bombing which appeared to target a military base has been claimed by the Taliban.
Arif Noori, a spokesman for the governor of Ghazni province, said, “The attack took place in the morning at around 8.30 a.m. near a local base of the National Directorate of Security in Ghazni city”.
“At least 12 people – eight security personnel, four civilians – were killed in the powerful blast,” Noori further said.
“Another 80 people, most of them schoolchildren, were injured”, he added.
Victims were rushed to the provincial hospital, though there were some exceptions.
This deadly attack came on the same day that a round of intra-Afghan peace talks commenced in Qatar between the insurgents and a delegation including members of the Kabul government taking part in an unofficial and personal capacity.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.