At Least 9 Killed in Taliban Attack in Afghanistan’s Samangan

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A Taliban suicide car bomber struck Monday in northern Afghanistan, setting off a gunbattle between insurgents and government forces that killed at least nine people and wounded dozens, officials said.

The attack took place in the Samangan provincial capital of Aybak. Raz Mohamamd Khan, a provincial council member, said the nine dead included a woman. He said there were 63 wounded but warned those were only initial figures and that the casualty toll could rise further.

At least two Taliban attackers were killed in the shootout, Khan added, AP reported.

Earlier, a provincial hospital chief, Abdul Khalil Musadiq, said at least 43 wounded — mostly civilians, including children — were taken to hospitals in the area.