Suicide Bombing and Helicopter Crash Mark Another Bloody Day in Afghanistan

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A suicide bomber has killed eight people and wounded 12 in eastern Logar province on Thursday, a day after the United Nations announced civilian casualties in the conflict this year had reached the highest number since 2009.

The attacker detonated an explosives-laden truck outside government offices in the provincial capital of Puli Alam, blowing out windows in buildings 1,600 feet away.

Din Mohammad Darwish, spokesman for the governor of Logar province, near Kabul, said the dead from Thursday's attack included three police officers and five civilians. Five police were among the wounded.

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The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying the targets were military and paramilitary units.

Also on Thursday, an Afghan military helicopter crashed in a remote region of the southern Zabul province on Thursday, killing a total of 17 soldiers, including five crew members, officials said.

Provincial police chief Mirwais Noorzai said the cause of the crash was not yet known, while the Defense Ministry said it was believed to been caused by a technical problem. Afzal Aman, the Defense Ministry's chief of operations, described it as "the worst calamity to hit the air force."

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The Afghan military has been fighting the Taliban-led insurgency alone since US and NATO forces concluded their combat mission at the end of last year, shifting to a support and training role instead.

On Wednesday, the UN released a report documenting 4,921 civilian casualties (1,592 deaths and 3,329 injured) in the first half of 2015 — a 1 percent increase on the same period last year and the highest number since 2009.

Around 70 percent of civilian casualties are caused by "anti-Government elements," said the report.

The Taliban insurgency is currently in turmoil, following confirmation of the death of its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. Afghan authorities say he died in a Pakistani hospital more than two years ago.

Related: Revealed: What the Taliban Wanted at First Official Peace Talks

The Associated Press contributed to this report.