At least eight people were killed and 15 others wounded in a bomb attack in Afghanistan's northern province of Badakhshan on Monday, a local official said.

"The blast ripped through the main square in Kishim district roughly at 09:30 a.m. local time. The initial information showed that eight people were killed and 15 injured and the number of the causalities may change," Nawid Froutan, spokesman of the provincial government, told Xinhua.

The nature of the blast remained unknown.

Unofficial sources put the number of casualties as high as 40 while they stated that the target of the attack was a unit of Afghan Local Police (ALP) passing by the area.

The blast was the third bomb attack in the country within a day.

Government troops cordoned off the area shortly after the blast, keeping people from gathering at the scene for fears that there might be a second blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. 

source : xinhua