Suicide bomb near Afghan bank kills at least 29 people collecting wages ahead of Muslim holiday

A suicide car bomb has exploded at a bank in Afghanistan's Helmand province as troops and government workers waited to collect their pay ahead of a major Muslim holiday, killing at least 29 people.

Most of the casualties in the explosion near the bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah were civilians, said provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat.