At least 27 people were killed and over 60 others received injuries when a car bomb attack occurred near a guesthouse in Afghanistan's eastern Logar province on Friday night. The spokesman for Logar's governor, Didar Lawang confirmed to the media that the car packed with explosives detonated in Logar's capital of Pul-e Alam near the house of the former head of the provincial council. The house that is also operated as a guesthouse was struck by the blast just after guests were breaking their fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, said the head of Logar's provincial council, Hasibullah Stanekzai. He also said that among the casualties were high school students who had been staying at the house, having traveled to the capital to sit their university entrance exam, as well as pro-government militia members who were staying there while waiting for air transport to another destination. The building collapsed due to the powerful blast and rescue teams are trying to rescue people who have been trapped in one floor. The security forces cordoned off the area and a probe into the incident is under way. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast. A spokesman for the insurgent Taliban said in response to Reuters' questions that they were looking into the matter. Violence in Afghanistan has escalated in recent weeks after US President Joe Biden announced the United States would withdraw troops by Sept. 11 to end two decades of foreign military presence. That decision angered the Taliban who had signed a deal with previous US President Donald Trump that specified troops would be gone from the country by May 1 subject to certain security guarantees. The European Union's delegation to Afghanistan condemned the attack. "In the holy month of Ramadan, horrible news on a car bomb in Pul-e-Alam, Logar province, killing and injuring innocent civilians, including students....this is a tragedy for the whole country," it said on Twitter. — Agencies
