Thirty people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded in a series of suicide attacks in a city in south-western Afghanistan, officials say.
At least 11 bombers had targeted the provincial capital of Zaranj, police said, but not all had been able to blow themselves up.
Crowded markets were among four places hit and the number of deaths was expected to rise, reports said.
The bombers struck as people bought food to end the day’s Ramadan fast.
Deputy provincial police chief Mujibullah Latifi told AFP that some of the attackers had been killed by police.
“There have been heavy casualties; the majority of them are civilians,” he said.
Reports say two of the bombers’ explosives were detonated when police fired on them.
Afghan intelligence officials have told the BBC a number of potential suicide bombers infiltrated Zaranj.
Some were arrested on Monday, with further arrests early on Tuesday.
One official said he had been searching for further suspected insurgents in a crowded marketplace when the attacks began.
An eyewitness, Mohammad Zalmay, told the BBC: “I was buying sweets with my sons and daughters when I heard a bang. I fell to the ground. When I woke up, I saw blood all over.”
Zaranj, near the Iranian border, is a relatively affluent and peaceful city, says the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool, in the capital Kabul.
The police will be extremely concerned that there will be further attacks, he says.
International troops are gradually handing over responsibilities to Afghan security forces, as Nato prepares to pull out of the country by the end of 2014.
- BBC
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