KABUL, Afghanistan - A huge truck bomb killed at least 89 people and injured 42 more in a market in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the country's defense ministry. The death toll could rise as rescuers sift through the rubble and some of the survivors succumb to their injuries, Gen. Zahir Azimi said. The blast struck Orgun district in Paktika province, which is close to the border with Pakistan's restive North Waziristan region where the government has launched an offensive against Taliban militants.
Meanwhile in Kabul, a roadside bomb killed two employees of President Hamid Karzai's media office and wounded five, police said. The attacks took place as foreign troops were gradually being withdrawn from the country. Last week, the United Nations reported that civilian casualties jumped by almost a quarter in the first half of this year as hostilities escalate.
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Reuters contributed to this report.