KABUL: A car bomb exploded outside a sports stadium in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more, officials said, capping a bloody week in the war-torn country.

The blast happened in Lashkar Gah as spectators were leaving a wrestling match at the stadium, Helmand provincial governor spokesman Omar Zwak said.

Helmand police spokesman Salam Afghan said that at least 10 people had been killed and 35 others wounded in the attack.

But Zwak put the death toll even higher at 13 dead and 45 wounded, including children.

“The suicide bomber detonated his car bomb as spectators were leaving the stadium,” Zwak said.

The police spokesman confirmed the blast was caused by a car bomb.

Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls in the wake of attacks.

Photos posted on Twitter purportedly of the explosion showed a huge fire and a thick plume of black smoke rising into the sky.

The Italian NGO Emergency said four dead and 35 wounded had been brought to its hospital in the city.

“We heard a loud explosion from our surgical centre in the city,” Emergency tweeted. “35 wounded already taken to our hospital, another 4 were dead on arrival.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2018