At least 33 dead in Afghanistan suicide bombing

Oct. 17 (UPI) — Gunmen and suicide bombers attacked an Afghan police training school on Tuesday, killing at least 33 people.

Another 160 people were injured in the attack in Gardez, authorities said.

Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said that Toryalai Abdyani, Paktia province police chief, died in the four-hour assault on the school at the city’s police headquarters.

Security officials said two bomb-carrying vehicles detonated at the school. The explosions were followed by an assault by armed insurgents.

The governor’s office said some of the casualties were civilians who were at the site to obtain passports and national identification cards.

The ministry said that at least five attackers died in the battle. The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Taliban is being blamed for another attackt, with a similar methodology, in neighboring Ghazni province on Tuesday. That incident, 60 miles from Gardez, killed “dozens of Taliban” as they stormed the provincial governor’s office. A count of casualties was not available.