At least 3 soldiers were killed and at least five others were injured in a bomb attack in Gardez, the capital of Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia Province, a Paktia Security Command spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, provincial spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal confirmed to Sputnik that a bomb had exploded in Gardez.
“Unfortunately, three of our soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in the attack.
“The situation is now normal and security forces are present in the area,” a Paktia Security Command spokesperson said in a Tuesday statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, Governor of Paktia Province Mohammad Halim Fidai said in a statement that at least six servicemen of the Afghan Public Protection Force, APPF, were injured.
“The first blast occurred at 5:30 a.m. (01:30 GMT on Tuesday) … Security forces cleared the area and two suicide bombers were killed.
“So far, six members of the public protection force have been injured,” Fidai said.
Paktia police Chief Lutfullah Kamran said that a car bomb exploded at a police checkpoint in Gardez at around 5:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday and two attackers were killed when they entered the police building.
Kamran confirmed that three soldiers were killed and five others were injured in the attack.
The Taliban took responsibility for the bomb blast claiming that dozens of Afghan soldiers were killed and wounded as a result of the explosion.
Later in the day, the movement released a statement saying that 74 troops had been killed and dozens wounded.
The Taliban also mentioned the damage done of vehicles and military equipment and claimed that there were no civilian casualties.
Sputnik/NAN
