89 killed in East Afghanistan suicide blast

A suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car in the town of Urgun in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province Tuesday morning, injuring dozens of nearby civilians. Eighty-nine people were killed and more than 40 were wounded, The Associated Press reports.

The country's military is currently providing helicopters and ambulances to take the surviving victims to the main hospital in Sharan, the capital of the Paktika province. The AP reports that the Taliban sent a statement to the media denying involvement in the bombing, saying they "strongly condemn attacks on local people."

Tuesday's attack was Afghanistan's deadliest in months. In addition to the deaths and injuries reported, Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Defense Ministry spokesperson, told the AP that more than 20 stores and dozens of vehicles were destroyed in the explosion.

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"It was a very brutal suicide attack against poor civilians, Mohammad Reza Kharoti, administrative chief of the Urgun district, told the AP. "There was no military base nearby."