The NDS intelligence service said in a statement the explosives were discovered in a large open yard of workshops but went off before they could be defused.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in high-profile bomb attacks since the beginning of the year, many in the capital Kabul, but provincial cities have also been hit as the Taliban, seeking to reimpose hardline Islamic rule, have stepped up fighting across the country.Tuesday’s explosion came as the Taliban pushed ahead with their spring offensive, launched last month, with fighting in other areas of the country.
As many as seven police were killed in clashes on Monday night between security forces and the Taliban in the southwest province of Ghazni, where the insurgents have cut a key highway with the neighbouring province of Paktika, officials said.
Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said a large Taliban force, armed with heavy weapons, attacked government positions in five districts of the province late on Monday, with fighting continuing until dawn.
Insurgents burned down the police headquarters in Jaghato district, he said.
The latest fighting coincided with a US government report that found few signs of progress so far this year, with fighting spreading across the country and hundreds of casualties from high profile attacks in Kabul and other cities.
Security officials say violence is expected to pick up as preparations continue for parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
