KHOST: Two people were killed and several wounded by a bomb that exploded in a market in Afghanistan's southeastern town of Khost on Sunday, officials said.
The blast occurred in a mobile telephone shop in a crowded produce market in the heart of Khost, which has been the scene of a series of attacks by the Taliban in recent weeks.
A doctor at a local hospital said two men were killed and seven wounded in the blast and added several of the wounded were in critical condition.
No one claimed responsibility for the bomb, but shopkeepers suspected the Taliban and said the target may have been the shop, where residents regularly download music into their mobile phones.
The Taliban have targeted music shops in the past as part of their harsh interpretation of Islam. Music, film and videos were banned under their 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan.
Shopkeepers quickly shut down their businesses after police, who cordoned off the area, said they feared another bomb had been planted in the market.
Violence has surged in Afghanistan after a winter lull, following last year's bloodiest period since the Taliban's ouster.
The Taliban and their Islamic allies including the al Qaeda network are largely active in southern and eastern areas close to the border with Pakistan. | 
Health
