Suicide car bomb kills 25 in east Afghanistan near US base

The attack occurred Sunday evening when the driver of an explosives-laden vehicle rammed his auto into a police checkpoint in Khost City, the capital of the eastern province of Khost.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Taliban has often targeted Afghan and foreign troops.

The Afghan government has warned the Islamic State group, rooted in Iraq and Syria, is making inroads into Afghanistan and is active in at least three provinces.

In 2009, a suicide bomber inside Chapman killed seven Central Intelligence Agency officers and contractors. Many members of the Afghanistan Taliban are hiding in nearby Pakistan.

The camp is less than four kilometres (2.4 miles) from the city of Khost, which is near the Pakistani border.

The surge in attacks has taken a heavy toll on civilians, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan.

In another bomb blast in the southern province of Kapisa, at least 10 civilians died and nine others were wounded when a roadside bomb was detonated when the van they were riding in moved past.

Roadside bombs have been the Taliban’s weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces, now in its 14th year.

Pentagon officials referred comment to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation authorities in Afghanistan. It was the latest incident in a series of attacks believed to have orchestrated by the Taliban in a bid to destabilize the country’s government as USA troops are scaling down their presence.