Truck suicide attack kills 5 people, wounds 62 others in S. Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, May 25 (KUNA) -- A truck suicide bomb targeting a provincial building in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province on Monday killed at least five people wounded 62 others, said officials.
Zabul's police chief, Mirwais Noorzai confirming the casualties said that the attacker detonated explosives inside a small truck. Council director, Atta Jan Haqbayan told media that the blast struck the gate of the provincial council's compound in Zabul province's capital city of Kalat.
He further said that three of the wounded were council members, two of whom were women. Zabul acting Governor, Massoud Bakhtawar also confirmed the incident saying that it was a truck suicide attack that took place in front of the provincial council office in Qalat.
The injured were immediately shifted to the nearby hospital where the death toll is feared to rise. Qalat civil hospital director, Zalmai Rishtin confirmed that 62 wounded people were brought in to the hospital with some of them critically injured.
The suicide attack came at a time when Taliban rebels have paced up their activities against the security forces following their annual spring offensive. (end) sbk.mt