At least seven people were killed on Thursday afternoon when a suicide bomber attacked an airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, officials said. Several others were injured.
The attack happened at around 1 p.m. local when an individual driving in a car detonated his explosives outside an entry control point at Kandahar International Airport, which is being maintained by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Kandahar Governor spokesperson Zalmay Ayubi said the car bomber killed seven civilians and wounded at least eight others. Although the attack happened near an ISAF convoy, there were no reports of casualties among coalition service members.
Among those killed and injured were several children and a woman who was passing by when the attack occurred, officials said. Several vehicles nearby were destroyed.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the attacker’s name was Ahmad. The credibility of the claim could not be verified as the Taliban frequently claim credit for the attacks of other groups.