Explosion outside Afghanistan's Kabul University kills 8, wounds 33

A powerful bomb exploded outside gates of Kabul University in Afghan capital on Friday, killing at least eight people and wounding 33, according to police and health officials.

Several of wounded were in critical condition, y said.

group immediately claimed responsibility for attack, latest to target Kabul. Both Taliban and Islamic State group often st large-scale bombings in city. Taliban generally target Afghan forces and government officials and Islamic State also often attacks mirity Shiites.

early morning blast also set two vehicles ablaze although it wasn't clear if attack was carried out by a suicide bomber or a remotely detonated bomb, said Kabul police spokesman Ferdous Faramarz.

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casualty tolls were released by Health Ministry spokesman, Dr. Wahidullah Mayar, who tweeted: "All wounded patients were evacuated to our hospitals and have been receiving required treatment."

After initial reports of six de, Mayer said two people died of ir wounds and that number of wounded rose to 33, following reports from hospitals around city.

university compound houses several hostels where many students stay over summer, attending classes and working on research projects. university is co-ed and has women attending classes, something Taliban oppose.

Though Friday is start of weekend in Afghanistan, Massoud, an ecomics professor at university who like many Afghans uses only one name, said that several lawyers were taking ir exams to become judges when explosion occurred.

It wasn't immediately clear if lawyers were target. In recent months, at least two professors at Kabul University with alleged links to Afghanistan's Islamic State affiliate have been arrested, and last year wall that surrounds university was emblazoned with graffiti reing, "Long Live Daesh," Arabic name for Islamic State group.

A U.S. Department of Defense intelligence official told Associated Press that IS affiliate has stepped up efforts to recruit students from Kabul's universities, particularly those who are tech-savvy, to expand group's strength and reach. official spoke on condition of anymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to media.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he was t aware of any Taliban involvement in Friday's attack.

In a 2016 attack, 13 people were killed, mostly students, and more than 40 people were wounded when militants attacked American University in Kabul. In that attack, a car bomb exploded outside university gates, followed by a blistering, hours-long attack in which gunmen roamed through compound shooting at students and teachers.

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Also on Friday, a roside mine killed five people who were riding in a car in eastern Ghazni province. ir identities were t immediately kwn. re was claim of responsibility for that attack, though Taliban control vast sections of province.

Taliban control roughly half of Afghanistan w and are at ir strongest since 2001 defeat when U.S.-led invasion toppled ir five-year government that h harbored al-Qaida leer Osama bin Len. Bin Len was killed in a 2011 U.S. Navy SEAL raid of his compound in Pakistani garrison town of Abbottab. Pakistan's military and intelligence leers have repeatedly denied any kwledge of bin Len's presence in ir country.