GARDEZ, Afghanistan, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Taliban has claimed a truck bombing that killed five civilians and injured 46 others, including several military personnel in Gardez city, capital of Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province earlier on Thursday, a Taliban spokesman said.

Afghan security personnel inspect the site of an attack on Afghan army base in Gardez, capital of Paktia province on May 14, 2020. Photo by AFP

The blast occurred in the morning rush hour after a Taliban suicide bomber tried to assault a provincial directorate of the Ministry of Defense but he was intercepted, according to a provincial source, who declined to be named.

The attacker detonated the truck bomb near the facility and affected nearby provincial military court and provincial finance and tax offices. At least five army soldiers and several finance and tax officials were among the injured, he said.

The blast also caused massive destruction, destroying several building, shops and vehicles, according to the source.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, tweeted that the blast left dozens of military personnel killed and injured.

It is the latest in a spate of such attacks when the Afghans are observing the fasting month of Ramadan.

On Tuesday, 56 people were killed and nearly 120 wounded in two separate attacks in Kabul and eastern Nangarhar province. Taliban said that they were not behind the attacks.

However, after the deadly attacks, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ordered national security forces to "end active defense position" and resume offensives on militant groups including the Taliban.