Eight servicemen were killed in a car bomb explosion in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand, media reported, citing local sources.
Afghanistan's Tolo News outlet reported that the explosion took place next to a security checkpoint near the Nad Ali district.
Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that 52 soldiers were killed and several others sustained injuries as a result. It also said that clashes ensued after the blast.
The Afghan government has been engaged in a vicious struggle with the Taliban movement for almost two decades. The conflict-stricken country continues to serve as a breeding ground for various insurgent and militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Daesh* terrorist organisation.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) and al-Qaeda are terrorist groups banned in Russia
