Eleven people killed and several wounded due to a car bomb blast at a government compound in northern Afghanistan.

Officials said that the blast took place amid a clash between Taliban fighters and security forces.

According to the international news agency, the attack had happened at a government facility in Samangan province’s capital Aybak, close to an office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Monday.

A spokesman for the provincial government Mohammad Sediq Azizi said, “It’s a complex attack that started with a car bomb,”

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He also said that 4 gunmen died after clashes with the Afghan security forces.

Officials said that 11 people killed in the attack were security personnel. The province’s health director, Khalil Musadeq informed that at least 43 civilians, including children, and members of the security forces had been wounded.

Haseeb, a government employee who works at the site, informed the media, “It was a huge explosion that broke all our windows,”

“Many people have been wounded by flying pieces of glass.”

On the other hand, a Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the armed group, who are active in the province, were responsible for bombing.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the incident.

On the contrary, the government of Afghanistan has suspended the release of the last batch of Taliban prisoners involved in serious crimes, while a suicide car bomber killed three policemen in a district bazaar in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

According to  Afghanistan’s news channel TOLOnews, the Afghan government on Monday reiterated its stance not to release 600 Taliban prisoners, who have been found to be involved in serious crimes other than Taliban membership.