Taliban blamed for Kandahar blast

A bomb exploded in central Kandahar today, causing an undetermined number of injuries, an official said.

The blast happened at about 12.30pm (8am Irish time) in Chawk Shida district, the southern city’s commercial centre.

“There are casualties, but we don’t know how many,” said Khan Mohammad, the city’s military commander.

Mohammad said initial reports suggested the bomb was contained in a car, but a police officer at the scene said he believed it was carried on a bicycle.

He immediately blamed the Taliban. “Without any doubt, Taliban or al Qaida are behind this,” Mohammad said.

Kandahar is the former stronghold of the Taliban, whose supporters this year have mounted a wave of deadly attacks on soldiers from the US-led coalition, Afghan officials and aid workers.

The violence has seriously hampered development work across the south and east of the country, undermining efforts to rebuild and democratise it after more than two decades of war.