Afghan Hospital Hit By Car Bomb

The New York Times reports:

A vehicle packed with explosives detonated in front of a hospital in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 30 people and causing heavy damage to the facility, local officials said.

The death toll included patients, visitors and staff and was expected to rise as rescuers sifted through the wreckage, said Din Mohammad Darwish, a spokesman for the governor’s office in Logar Province. At least 45 people were wounded in the powerful mid-morning blast.

“The hospital is totally destroyed and cannot be used anymore,” Mr. Darwish said. “The numbers may go higher.”

The Taliban denied involvement in the attack. ”We strongly condemn this inhuman attack which was carried out by some other elements who are trying to defame the Taliban and blame us for doing this,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said by cellphone from an undisclosed location.