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EPA
The Taliban have denied responsibility for the attack.
At least 17 people have died in Afghanistan in a powerful car bomb blast in Logar province.
The explosion occurred on the eve of a Taliban-declared ceasefire during the Eid festival.
The Taliban have denied responsibility for the attack, while the Islamic State has yet to comment.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by a suicide bomber, Dedar Lawang, a spokesman for the governor of Logar, told AFP news agency.
- Afghanistan: the long road to peace
The explosion occurred near the governor’s office and where many people were shopping for the festival.
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EPA
The explosion occurred on a busy street
“The terrorists once again attacked the night of Eid al-Adha and killed several of our compatriots,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack “had nothing to do” with the group.
The Taliban and Afghan government agreed to a three-day ceasefire starting on Friday, the first day of Eid.
There are hopes of a permanent truce, but the peace talks have been delayed due to the exchange of prisoners. It was agreed that the government would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 of its security personnel.
The Afghan government has released more than 4,400 Taliban prisoners, while a spokesman for the insurgents said Thursday that a total of 1,005 government inmates had already been released.
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