Suicide bomber kills 45 at volleyball tournament

KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a volleyball tournament in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 45 people in the country’s deadliest terrorist attack this year, officials said.

The bloodshed came just hours after Parliament approved agreements allowing U.S. and NATO troops to remain in the country past the end of the year.

Dozens more were wounded, many critically, an official said. He said the bomber was mingling with the large crowd at the sporting event in Yahyakhail district when he set off the explosives.

A doctor said the hospital received about 80 wounded people, 20 of them children. Officials said people of all ages were watching the adult-league inter-district tournament.

No one claimed responsibility, and the Taliban’s spokesman could not be reached by telephone.