A flurry of suicide bombing attacks hit two provinces in Afghanistan today, the Nimroz Province and the Kunduz Province, leaving at least 48 people dead and 130 others wounded in the deadliest day of the year.

 

The attacks in Nimroz hit in Zaranj, not far from the Iranian border, at least four distinct strikes killing 36 people, including 11 police. The exact number of strikes isn’t clear, as some put the number of bombers as high as 15.

Afghan security officials are under considerable pressure to explain their failure to prevent the attacks, but are claiming that indeed things could’ve been worse and that they managed to stop two of the attackers beforehand.

Though Kunduz has been the target of several past attacks, Nimroz is almost never involved in fighting, and the Afghan War is usually seen as stopping in the southwest at Helmand Province.