A huge suicide car bombing struck Thursday outside a bank in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, targeting Afghan troops and government employees waiting to collect their salaries, killing at least 29 people, officials said. Hayatullah Hayat, the provincial governor in Helmand, said most of the casualties were civilians. The explosion near the Kabul Bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah also wounded at least 60 people, he said.

A huge suicide car bombing struck Thursday outside a bank in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, targeting Afghan troops and government employees waiting to collect their salaries, killing at least 29 people, officials said. Hayatullah Hayat, the provincial governor in Helmand, said most of the casualties were civilians. The explosion near the Kabul Bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah also wounded at least 60 people, he said.