Blast rocks Kandahar in Afghanistan

A powerful blast followed by gunfire has rocked the city of Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace and stronghold in southern Afghanistan, official sources reported.

Local medics told a Press TV correspondent on Monday that they have received a number of bodies and treated several injured people.

The blast took place in the Chuck Shahidan district near a bank where some Afghan army and police personnel go to receive their pay.

Officials say it is too early to know the exact number of casualties or the extent of damage. The area has been sealed off and a thorough investigation is underway.

Kandahar is a Taliban stronghold and the group has previously carried out attacks in the province.

In December 11, a powerful car bomb exploded outside Kandahar’s police headquarters wounding four Afghan policemen and two children.

The Afghan National Army said it recently uncovered a factory where suicide bomber vests were being produced in one of the outlying villages near Kandahar city.