Alwaght- Two separate attacks in Afghanistan have killed as many as 50 people on Saturday, the first day of Islam's holy Month of Ramadan.
A suicide car bomber killed 14 people, mostly civilians, in eastern Khost province while fighting between militants and security forces left at least 36 people dead In the north-western province of Badghis.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Khost attack, saying it was aimed at members of the Afghan security forces.
At a local hospital, doctors received at least 14 dead bodies and eight wounded people, said Gul Mohammaddin Mangal, head of the public health department in Khost.
"The bodies are not recognizable and it is hard to say if they are civilians or security forces," he said.
In Badghis' Qadis district militants attacked security forces that killed 22 insurgents, 6 security forces, and 8 civilians, said Zahir Bahand a spokesman for the provincial governor.
The fighting also left 33 militants and 17 civilians wounded, he said.
Taliban forces have increased their attacks in the weeks before Ramadan, with a string of strikes in Kandahar, Paktia, and Helmand, among other provinces.
Muslims around the world typically mark Ramadan with fasting, prayers, and other observances, although the holy month can begin on different days in different countries.
