At least 29 persons were killed and over 60 injured after a car bomb exploded in Lashkargah on Thursday, the capital of Helmand in Afghanistan, health officials have confirmed.
The blast ripped through an office building where people had gathered to receive their salaries at a branch of New Kabul Bank, according to TOLO News.
LASHKARGAH - At least 29 people killed and nearly 50 others wounded in #Lashkargah car bomb blast, health officials confirmed. pic.twitter.com/mPh2BfTOc9
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) June 22, 2017
Omar Zwak, spokesperson for the Helmand Governor, confirmed that at least 20 people had died in the blas and nearly 60 were wounded.
Reports state that members of the police and army, civilians and staff of the New Kabul Bank have been gravely wounded in the attack too.
No extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, insurgent groups, including the Taliban and the Islamic State (ISIS) group have targeted banks where police, soldiers and other government employees collect their pay in the past.
The death toll is expected to rise.
More details awaited.
Omar Zwak
