A suicide bombing killed 10 civilians and injured some 30 others on Sunday in Gardez, capital of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan, an official told Xinhua.

The blast occurred in a market in the city center at around 9: 30 a.m. (0500 GMT), killing 10 civilians and injured about 30 others, a press officer from Interior Ministry said anonymously.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said it was not immediately known what the target was, and the police are carrying out an investigation

Over the past few weeks, insurgency and violence have claimed heavy casualties in Afghanistan.

A suicide bombing killed three German soldiers and six Afghan civilians in Kunduz province of northern Afghanistan on Saturday.

The U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces killed 67 Taliban militants in Paktia province on Friday.

Due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, over 1,500 persons, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

Source: Xinhua