ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed by an explosion at a picnic spot near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, witnesses and officials said.
The cause of the blast in the western outskirts of Kandaharwas not known immediately. Some people were also wounded by theexplosion which went off at a location where spectators werewatching dogs fight, the witnesses said.
Hafizullah, a policeman at the scene, said 70 people wereeither killed or wounded. Six of those killed were children.
"The match was going on and all of a sudden the explosionwent off," said witness Abdul Rahman whose brother was killed.
Police sealed off the site of the blast. Pieces of fleshand body parts were scattered near the site and ambulancesrushed wounded to hospitals.
The interior ministry spokesman in Kabul told a privatetelevision that dozens were killed. He could not say what hadcaused the blast, the bloodiest this year in Afghanistan.
Kandahar is a stronghold of the Taliban who have stepped upsuicide attacks and roadside bombings in recent months in theircampaign to force foreign troops out of Afghanistan.
(Writing by Sayed Salahuddin, editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
