Kabul, July 21: At least eight Afghan National Army soldiers were killed in a suicide car bombing in the central province of Maidan Wardak on Monday afternoon, the Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement.

The ministry said that 9 other soldiers were wounded in the attack. They said that the attack had targeted a convoy of army forces in Sayed Abad district, a volatile region west of Kabul, Tolo news reported. Afghanistan: Suicide Bomb Blast on Police HQ in Kandahar Province, 3 Policemen Killed.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. They said that it was a retaliation for 'Afghan forces airstrikes on civilians'.

The attack comes amid peace efforts by the Ashraf Ghani government and the Taliban to complete prisoner exchanges in order to be able to begin the intra-Afghan negotiations.

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