Afghanistan: 2 people killed in a blast

An Afghan government official says two people, including a police commander, have been killed in an explosion in the country’s north after a sticky bomb was attached to the commander’s car. Local spokesman Munir Ahmed Farhad says the bomb went off on Friday in Balkh province as the car entered a stadium where the popular ancient sport of Buzkashi is played.

The explosion also wounded two other people. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban insurgents operate in the area, which has also been the scene of feuding among local warlords. Buzkashi is an ancient Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players fight to move a headless goat from one end of the field to the other. In Afghanistan, it’s often played on Friday, the weekly holiday.