Suicide attack toll at least 50: Afghan official

KABUL, Afghanistan: An Afghan official says the death toll from a suicide bomb attack on a volleyball tournament has risen to at least 50, with more than 60 wounded.

The attack is the deadliest in Afghanistan this year. It happened in eastern Paktika province, bordering Pakistan, during the final of a three-day tournament with a huge crowd in attendance.

The spokesman for the provincial governor, Mokhlis Afghan, says that 42 people were killed immediately when the attacker detonated explosives as he mingled with the large crowd.

There is still some confusion about the exact number of dead and wounded, he says.

Afghanistan has been tackling insurgents for more than a decade, but attacks have been escalating this year. No claim of responsibility has been made for Sunday’s attack.