80 Killed in Afghan Bombing

Worst Taliban suicide attack since 2001 hits spectators at dog fight

By Jane Yager, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 17, 2008 5:40 AM CST

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80 Killed in Afghan Bombing — Afghan policeman, right, stands near the damaged police vehicles near the site of a suicide attack on the western edge of Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Feb. 17. 2008. A suicide bombing at an outdoor dog fighting competition killed 80 people and wounded dozens more Sunday, a governor... (Associated Press)

A suicide blast today killed at least 80 in a crowd of spectators watching a dog fight in the Afghan city of Kandahar. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, but local authorities believe it was the work of the Taliban, which has a large presence in the area, BBC reports. Militia leaders watching the dog fight were the likely target of the attack.

"Fighting had just started between two dogs. Suddenly, I heard a huge explosion next to a police vehicle," a witness said. The attack is Afghanistan's deadliest since 2001, and points to the growing regional and national strength of the Taliban. Dog-fighting, a popular spectator sport in Afghanistan, was banned under Taliban rule. (Read more Afghanistan stories.)