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Bombings, suicide attack rock eastern Afghanistan; Taliban claim responsibility

From Qadir Sediqi, for CNN
February 24, 2013 -- Updated 0838 GMT (1638 HKT)
A US soldier and Afghan policemen are seen through the broken window of a suicide bombers' car in Kabul on February 24, 2013.
A US soldier and Afghan policemen are seen through the broken window of a suicide bombers' car in Kabul on February 24, 2013.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: The Tailban claims responsibility for three attacks in eastern Afghanistan
  • Official: One person died after a car bomb targeted a national security building
  • In a second attack, an explosive-laden minibus targeted a police checkpoint
  • In a third attack, a suicide bomber detonated his vest at the gate of a police headquarters

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A series of explosions in eastern Afghanistan killed at least one person and wounded six on Sunday, officials said.

In the first attack, a car bomb targeted a building belonging to National Directorate of Security, near the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, a government spokesman said.

The early morning blast killed one person and wounded two others, provincial spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.

In a second attack, a minibus packed with explosives targeted a police checkpoint in Logar province, said Den Mohammad Darwish, provincial government spokesman said.

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That blast wounded three people, he said.

And in a third attack, a suicide bomber detonated his vest at the gate of a police headquarters in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province, police said.

One police officer was wounded, said Raees Khan, chief of security for Logar police.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the group was responsible for all three attacks, but gave different casualty tolls for each.

He said the attack in Nangarhar province killed 14 people, the minibus blast in Logar province wounded 20, and the suicide bombing in Logar province killed 13.

The Taliban are known for claiming responsibility for attacks and inflating casualty numbers.

Separately, a would-be suicide bomber was shot and killed in Kabul before he could carry out an attack, police said.

The man was driving a car packed with explosives and tried to enter the area of the Internal Security and High Peace Council offices in Kabul, Deputy Police Chief Daoud Amin said.

He was also wearing a suicide vest, Amin said.

Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said the group was not responsible for the planned attack in Kabul.

CNN's Karen Smith and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

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