KABUL, Afghanistan -- Two large bombs, one triggered by a suicide attacker, exploded near government offices Tuesday, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens of others in the deadliest Taliban violence in Kabul in months.
In southern Afghanistan, an attack at a guesthouse belonging to the governor of Kandahar province killed five people and wounded 12. An ambassador from the United Arab Emirates and other UAE diplomats were among the wounded, authorities said.
The Kabul suicide bomber struck about 4 p.m. as workers were leaving a compound of government and legislative offices, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. The second bomb, which was planted in a car, exploded minutes later after security forces had rushed in to help the victims, he said.
The Taliban, who have been waging a 15-year war against the U.S.-backed government, claimed the attack in the capital.
The 38 dead included civilians and military personnel, and 72 people were wounded, said Public Health Ministry official Mohibullah Zeer.
Among the wounded was Rahima Jami, a member of the parliament from Herat province in western Afghanistan, said another lawmaker from the province, Ghulam Faroq Naziri.
It appeared to be the deadliest attack in Kabul since July, when two suicide bombers struck during a demonstration held by Hazaras, a Shiite Muslim ethnic group, killing 80 people. That attack was claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State militant group.
Fighting in Afghanistan tends to taper off during the winter, when mountain supply routes used by the insurgents are impassable.
President Ashraf Ghani condemned the Kabul bombings in a statement from the presidential palace.
Amnesty International said the bombings indicate that "the Taliban are pressing ahead with a gruesome campaign of violence that makes no effort to spare civilian lives."
"Targeting first responders in a car bomb that killed many people that were on the street shows a chilling contempt for human life," said Champa Patel, Amnesty International's South Asia director.
In the Kandahar attack, at least one bomb went off inside the governor's compound, authorities said.
Among the wounded was Gov. Homayun Azizi, his spokesman said. The spokesman, Samim Khpolwak, who also was wounded, said it was not yet clear what caused the blasts.
Also hurt was UAE Ambassador Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi and "a number of Emirati diplomats," the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It had no other details on how many UAE envoys were wounded in what it called a "heinous" attack.
The Taliban said in a statement today that they weren't behind the Kandahar attack, instead blaming it on an "internal local rivalry." However, the Taliban have in the past denied attacks that later were attributed to them, including some that targeted diplomats and security forces.
Emirati combat troops were sent to Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban. The UAE had troops for years as part of the NATO-led mission, and the Persian Gulf federation also trained members of the Afghan armed forces. Multiple daily commercial flights link the countries, with Dubai serving as an important commercial hub for Afghan businessmen.
The Taliban also claimed a suicide bombing earlier in the day that killed seven people in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said Gen. Agha Noor Kemtoz, the provincial police chief.
The bomber, who was on foot, attacked a guesthouse used by provincial intelligence officials, he said.
Civilians and military personnel were among the dead, and six others were wounded, Kemtoz added. A car full of explosives was found nearby.
Information for this article was contributed by Amir Shah, Mirwais Khan, Jon Gambrell and Adam Schreck of The Associated Press.
A Section on 01/11/2017