Afghanistan: Death toll in car bomb blast rises to 12

The number of people, killed on Thursday by a car bomb explosion in the southern Afghan city of Qalat-e Gilzay, has risen to 12, local provincial authorities told Sputnik.

Earlier in the day, TOLOnews had reported that a total of seven people were killed and 85 were injured as a result of the blast.

"Currently, a total of 12 people have been killed and over 60 received injuries as a result of the explosion," a representative of the province's governor's office said.

The representative added that the explosion took place near the city's central hospital and that all of the victims were civilians. He also said that the injured people were transferred to local private clinics due to the hospital being damaged in the explosion.

Earlier on Thursday, a Sputnik correspondent reported citing local residents and officials, that the blast had hit the office of the National Directorate of Security intelligence agency and damaged the nearby Zabul Provincial Hospital.

The Taliban has reportedly taken responsibility for the attack.