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NPR News

Taliban Denies Part in Kandahar Bombing

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The Taliban has denied responsibility for what is being called the worst bombing in Afghanistan's history, in which at least 80 people were killed and dozens more wounded by a suicide bomber's blast at a dog-fighting event. Still, many in the area are convinced that the Taliban played a role in the killing.

Afghans believe the target of the bombing was a prominent tribal leader who opposed the Taliban. The man, Abdul Hakim Jan, was also the leader of a local militia.

Funerals have already begun in Kandahar, where the governor expressed outrage at the attack.

An exact death count has been difficult to determine, partly because family members and survivors carried off the bodies from the blast site, in order to hold funerals. Under Islamic law, bodies are to be buried within 24 hours.

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