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Terror attack in southern Afghanistan kills 29

A car bomb has exploded outside a New Kabul Bank branch in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah

© EPA/WATAN YAR

MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. The terrorist attack committed outside a bank in southern Afghanistan has claimed 29 lives, about 50 people were injured, the TOLOnews TV channel reported on Thursday citing Health Ministry officials.

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Media reports earlier said that a car bomb exploded outside a New Kabul Bank branch in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah where people gathered to collect their salaries. There are both military servicemen and civilians among the dead and wounded.

According to some reports, the bank was attacked by militants. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for it.

The deadliest recent terrorist attack in Afghanistan, which has left more than 150 people dead, occurred in Kabul on May 31, when a bomb planted in a fuel truck exploded at a checkpoint leading to a diplomatic neighborhood. The Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security later said that the attack had been staged by the Haqqani Network insurgent group in coordination with Pakistan’s intelligence service.

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