Explosion kills 16 Afghans, injures 38

KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 16 people were killed Tuesday when Afghan security forces tried to dispose of a container full of explosives found in the southern city of Kandahar, officials said.

Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor, said four security forces were among those killed. He said another 38 people, including at least five small children, were wounded in the explosion.

Dozens of shops and nearby homes were destroyed or damaged, and the death toll could rise, he said.

The explosives were found in a cluster of car mechanic shops. It was unclear who placed them there.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban carried out attacks late Monday in eastern Ghazni province, killing at least 14 police officers, including a district police chief and a reserve unit’s commander, according to provincial council member Hassan Reza Yusoufi.

The attacks continued Tuesday in four districts, according to Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor, who said 12 other security forces were wounded.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since announcing the annual spring offensive last month. An Islamic State affiliate also has carried out a number of large bombings in recent months, mainly targeting the country’s Shiite minority.

AP Afghan security personnel examine the site of Tuesday’s deadly explosion in Kandahar.