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KABUL: The Taliban insurgent set off a truck bomb on Tuesday just outside a military base in northern Balkh province, killing three people and wounding 41 others, officials said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing despite steps toward peace talks with the Afghan government. The group on twitter says they had attacked the commandos.
On Tuesday at around 8:45am local time, a Mazda truck full of explosives went off near a veterinary clinic, among civilians in a populated area in Balkh district of Balkh province, Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“Three people, including two civilians and a commando were killed and 41 others, including 35 civilians and six commandos were wounded in the blast,” the statement added.
Dozens of civilian houses, near the target, were also destroyed in the blast, according to the statement.
However, Defense Ministry’s Deputy Spokesman Fawad Aman said the car bombing took place among civilian houses near a veterinary clinic, where a military unit is also located close to the area.
The blast came as a six-member Taliban delegation visited Pakistan on Monday to discuss the Afghan peace process, and to push the process forward.
The US-Taliban peace deal has brought hope for the Afghan masses toward ending the ongoing war—however the level of violence has remained high.
War has been intensified and the Afghan officials and diplomats say the violence is sapping the trust needed for talks. The Afghan government has repeatedly asked for a ceasefire before negotiations start in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, a request the Taliban frequently refused.
