Tuesday, January 17 2006 10:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kandahar: A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up in the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak yesterday (Jan 16, 2006), killing 20 people and wounding about 20 others, a provincial governor said.

Hours earlier three Afghan soldiers and a civilian had died in a suspected Taliban suicide car bombing in the southern city of Kandahar, the former stronghold of the ousted hardline Islamic regime, the army said.

The bazaar in Spin Boldak, a border crossing with Pakistan, was crowded with locals watching a wrestling match as part of festivities for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, said Asadullah Khalid, governor of Kandahar province.

"Twenty people were killed and around 20 others were wounded after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated himself half an hour ago in Spin Boldak town bazaar," he said.

"It was a suicide motorcycle attack which also set ablaze three vehicles in the area," the governor said. "There may be some police officers among the dead and the injured but at this stage we don't know how many".

Eyewitnesses said the area was crowded with people after the wrestling match and they described a scene of carnage.

"By the time the wrestling was over and people were starting to go home, a motorcycle approached the area and a big explosion happened. There were a number of police also in the area," witness Ahmadullah Jan told sources.

"I saw a big fire and a couple of vehicles on fire and I estimate around 30 people were lying either dead or wounded," he added. "There were screams and blood everywhere".