At least 35 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a hospital in Afghanistan's Logar province south of Kabul, provincial officials said today.
Another 45 people were wounded in the blast in the remote Azro district.
"The information we have is that a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a hospital, killing 35 civilians and wounding 45 more," said Deen Mohammad Darwish, spokesman for the provincial governor.
Interior minister deputy spokesman Najib Nikzad said a suicide bomber in a car set off his explosives but did not give details. "The exact target is still not clear, and the death toll is expected to rise," he said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility and said insurgents never attack hospitals.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack in which he said "tens of civilians" were killed.
The United Nations said the maternity ward was hit in the bombing. "This is a despicable attack against civilians who were seeking medical care, as well as visiting family members and health workers," Staffan de Mistura, the UN chief in Afghanistan, said in a statement.
Tensions have flared over civilian casualties, with insurgents and the Afghan government alike criticising Nato-led forces for killing innocent Afghans while hunting for militants. United Nations figures however show that insurgents are responsible for three-quarters of civilian deaths.
Military and civilian casualties hit record levels in 2010, the most violent year of the war since US-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001.
This year is following a similar trend, with violence growing across Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a spring offensive at the beginning of May.
The latest violence comes as seven areas across the country prepare to take over security responsibilities from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) fighting an increasingly unpopular war that has dragged on for 10 years.
That will coincide with the start in July of a gradual drawdown of US troops. US and Nato troops plan to hand over security responsibility for all of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, although critics warn the handover date is premature.
Reuters