Afghan Interior ministry says death toll in the bombing of girls’ school in Kabul soars to 50, another 100 injured

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan authorities say a bomb exploded near a girls’ school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 50 people, many of them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old, witth another 100 injured.

The Taliban has condemned the attack and denied any responsibility.

Ambulances evacuated the wounded as relatives and residents screamed at authorities near the scene of the blast at Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

The bombing, apparently aimed to cause maximum civilian carnage, adds to fears that violence in the war-wrecked country could escalate as the U.S. and NATO end nearly 20 years of military engagement.