AN Afghan official said yesterday the death toll from a suicide bomb attack on a volleyball tournament has risen to at least 50, with more than 60 wounded.

    The Sunday night attack is the deadliest in Afghanistan this year. It happened in eastern Paktika province, bordering Pakistan, during the final of a three-day tournament with a huge crowd in attendance.

    The spokesman for the provincial governor, Mokhlis Afghan, said that 42 people were killed immediately when the attacker detonated explosives as he mingled with the large crowd.

    There is still some confusion about the exact number of dead and wounded, he said.

    Afghanistan has been tackling insurgents for more than a decade, but attacks have been escalating this year. No claim of responsibility has been made for Sunday’s attack.

    (SD-Agencies)