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Afghan market bomb 'kills nine' Afghan market bomb 'kills nine'
(about 1 hour later)
A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a market in the south-eastern Afghanistan city of Gardez, killing at least nine people, reports say. A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a market in the eastern Afghan city of Gardez, killing at least nine people.
A spokesman for the provincial governor said the targets of the attack were apparently Afghan security officials. The dead included four young children. Police say 28 others were wounded, some seriously.
Reuters news agency reported those killed included the security commander for neighbouring Logar province, his brother, and three bodyguards. A BBC correspondent in Kabul says the target appears to have been the commander of a private security firm working for American forces.
Reports say a further 24 people were wounded in the blast. The man, his brother, and two bodyguards were killed. Many civilians were also caught in the blast.
Gardez is the capital of Paktia province, and Thursday's attack happened at 1630 local time (1200 GMT) when the suspected suicide bomber, wearing an explosives-filled vest, detonated his device.Gardez is the capital of Paktia province, and Thursday's attack happened at 1630 local time (1200 GMT) when the suspected suicide bomber, wearing an explosives-filled vest, detonated his device.
"This was a suicide attack," said the spokesman for the governor of Paktia province, Rohullah Samon."This was a suicide attack," said the spokesman for the governor of Paktia province, Rohullah Samon.
Correspondents say suicide attacks, usually targeting government officials and security installations, have become increasingly common in Afghanistan. The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kabul says the Taliban regularly target senior government and security officials in Afghanistan's south and east along the Pakistan border, where the insurgency is at its strongest.
Earlier on Thursday the governor of neighbouring Khost province was injured after a bomb was detonated just outside his office.
It is not the first time Gardez has been targeted.It is not the first time Gardez has been targeted.
In December, Taliban militants seized a building near a police station and in the ensuing firefight two militants were killed and a number of police officers and civilians injured.In December, Taliban militants seized a building near a police station and in the ensuing firefight two militants were killed and a number of police officers and civilians injured.