Attack on Afghan cricket match kills nine, wounds over 50

The attack took place in southeastern Paktika province, on the border with Pakistan, the officials said.

Authorities initially said the game being played at the time of the blast was soccer, but an interior ministry statement later said it was a cricket match.

The attack probably targeted members of the local government watching the game, officials said.

A similar bombing last year at a volleyball match killed at least 50 people in the same province.

The Taliban denied responsibility for the latest attack. The militant Islamist group rarely claims attacks with a high number of civilian casualties.

Since the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan last year, Afghan security forces have been fighting the Taliban with limited support.

The Taliban was ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001 and has been waging an insurgency for over a decade.