KABUL: Afghanistan's intelligence agency on Monday blamed the Haqqani network, a hard-line militant group aligned with the Taliban, for the suicide blast at a volleyball game that killed 57 people.

“We have evidence that shows the Haqqani network was behind the attack in Paktika,” Haseeb Sediqi, spokesman for the National Directorate of Security, told AFP.

About 57 people were killed and 60 others wounded when a suicide blast ripped through crowds at a volleyball game in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, the deadliest attack in the country since 2011.

Take a look: Suicide bomber kills 45 at volleyball match in Afghanistan

The explosion struck during a tournament between three local teams in Paktika province, with many children among the dead and injured.

The high death toll underlined the challenges facing President Ashraf Ghani, as US-led Nato troops wind down operations and the national security forces take over responsibility for imposing stability.