A suicide bomber kills seven people and wounds 20 others outside a bank in the capital city of Afghanistan's Helmand province on February 11, 2017. A suicide bomber killed seven people and wounded 20 others outside a bank in the capital city of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, the governor's office said.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Daily Star. </s> A car bomb exploded outside a bank in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand on Thursday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 50, Reuters reported. Among those dead were civilians and security forces waiting to collect their salaries.

Helmand police spokesman Salam Afghan said that the bomber had donated his explosives at the gate of the new Kabul Bank branch, reported BBC. Armed attackers have entered the bank and a gun battle is on with security forces, reported Tolo News.

Al Jazeera quoted Omar Zwak, spokesperson for the Helmand governor as saying that the blast took place around 12 noon local time (1.30 pm Indian Standard Time). No group has taken responsibility for the attack so far, though Islamic State and the Taliban have carried out attacks near banks in the past, where security forces, police and government officials collect their pay.

On Sunday, Taliban suicide bombers targeted police headquarters in Gardez city, killing several people and injuring many others. In May, at least three people were killed and many wounded in an attack on a bank in the same city. </s> LASHKAR GAH: A suicide bomber killed seven people and wounded 20 others outside a bank in the capital city of Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Saturday, the governor’s office said on Saturday.

The bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle as soldiers arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor´s spokesman, Omar Zwak, said. Among the dead were four civilians and three soldiers. Sixteen civilians and four soldiers were wounded, he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah.

Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the Nato-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency. At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week.

To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military air strike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district. The allegation has not been independently verified.

US military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that the US jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks. While US forces had "no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes", Salvin said the command would investigate the claims.

"We take every precaution to prevent and mitigate civilian casualties and we take every allegation seriously," he said.

Suicide bomber kills seven, injures 20 in Afghanistan was posted in Top Story of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on February 12, 2017 and was last updated on February 12, 2017. This news story is related to Print/185777-Suicide-bomber-kills-seven-injures-20-in-Afghanistan/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Suicide bomber kills seven, injures 20 in Afghanistan" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/185777-Suicide-bomber-kills-seven-injures-20-in-Afghanistan. </s> AT-Kabul: Over 20 people were “martyred” and 55 more were injured today after a suicide bomber detonated his car against the provincial branch of the New Kabul Bank in Lashkargah, capital city of Helmand province.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the governor told Afghanistan Times over 20 people have been “martyred” and 55 others “mostly civilians” were injured in the bombing that took place at 12:00pm.

The bomber tried to get inside the bank compound but was prevented by the security guards and car was detonated in first entrance. Most of the casualties were those who were waiting in cars and parking lot to enter to the bank.

The New Kabul Bank office in Helmand’s capital has so far several times came under attack over the past few years, but the security officials yet to take proper measures to prevent such deadly attacks, a provincial council member told Afghanistan Times. </s> A car bomb exploded near the Kabul Bank branch in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand on Thursday.

Victims are taken to hospital following bank blast in #Lashkargah #AFG pic.twitter.com/rfN757VJc1 — 1TVNewsAF (@1TVNewsAF) June 22, 2017

The blast occured at noon in the province's capital of Lashkargah wounding at least 50 people. ​1TV News reports, citing local authirities, that at least 20 people were killed. </s> LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed seven people and wounded 20 others outside a bank in the capital city of Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Saturday, the governor’s office said on Saturday.

The bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle as soldiers arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor’s spokesman, Omar Zwak, said.

Among the dead were four civilians and three soldiers. Sixteen civilians and four soldiers were wounded, he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah.

Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the NATO-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency.

At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week.

To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military air strike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district.

The allegation has not been independently verified.

U.S. military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that U.S. jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks.

While U.S. forces had “no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes”, Salvin said the command would investigate the claims.

“We take every precaution to prevent and mitigate civilian casualties and we take every allegation seriously.” </s> KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A local police chief in Afghanistan says a suicide car bombing targeted Afghan soldiers lining up outside a bank in southern Helmand province, killing at least 15 people.

Provincial police chief Gen. Agha Noor Kentoz says the attacker struck on Thursday in Lashkargah, the provincial capital. He says at least a dozen people were wounded in the explosion outside a Kabul Bank branch.

People likely had gathered there to collect salaries ahead of the upcoming holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Haji Moladad Tobagar, health director in Lashkargah told The Associated Press that the hospital received 25 bodies after the attack, as well as 60 wounded.

He says he fears an even higher casualty toll as more victims were being brought in. The discrepancies in the casualty tolls could not immediately be reconciled. </s> KABUL—A car bomb killed 34 people in the southern Afghanistan city of Lashkar Gah on Thursday, according to an Afghan official, the latest in a string of attacks in Helmand province where Taliban militants are closing in on the provincial capital.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, which targeted a branch of the New Kabul Bank, said Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor. The group has carried out attacks... </s> KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan officials say a suicide bombing has killed at least five people in a busy commercial area in central Kabul, not far from the U.S. Embassy.

Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, says Tuesday’s explosion likely targeted a branch of the privately owned Kabul Bank. The U.S. Embassy compound is located about 500 meters (yards) down the road from the Kabul Bank.

Mohammad Salim Rasouli, chief of Kabul hospitals at the Health Ministry, confirmed that the attack also wounded nine people, according to initial reports.

No one claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Taliban often target banks, especially at the end of the month when civil servants and military personnel line up to receive their salaries, or ahead of major Muslim holidays.
A suicide bomber kills at least seven people outside a bank in Lashkargah.