11 die in blast near Kabul University

KABUL, July 19 (AFP): At least 11 people were killed and dozens more wounded Friday when a bomb detonated near a major university in Kabul while students were waiting to take an exam, officials said.

The blast comes amid an unending wave of violence across Afghanistan, where civilians are being killed every day in the country's gruelling conflict, now in its 18th year.

The Taliban denied any involvement in Friday's blast, which took place near the southern entrance to Kabul University, an official with the interior ministry's media office told AFP.

Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar said the death toll had reached eight, with another 33 injured.

"Wounded patients have been receiving the required medical and surgical treatment," he said on Twitter.

The heavily militarised Afghan capital remains one of the highest-profile targets for both the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State group, with both regularly launching devastating attacks that often kill and maim civilians.

Bahar Mehr, the interior ministry official, said five people had been killed including a traffic police officer