Car bomb attack kills at least 89 in Afghanistan

Villagers gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Urgon district in the eastern province of Paktika, July 15, 2014. REUTERS/ Stringer

GARDEZ Afghanistan (Reuters) - A car packed with explosives exploded on Tuesday as it sped through a crowded market in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, killing at least 89 people, officials said, one of the most violent attacks in the country in a year.

The huge explosion took place not far from the porous border with Pakistan's North Waziristan region, where the military has been attacking hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban in the past few weeks, prompting militants to retreat toward Afghanistan.