At least three persons were killed and about 50 others wounded today in a mortar attack in Asadabad city, capital of Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar, as the country celebrated its Independence Day, China's Xinhua news agency reported sources as saying.

The attack occurred in the morning after two mortar rounds fired by militants struck near the provincial government office building in the mountainous province, 185km east of Afghan capital of Kabul.

"A celebration was underway in the governor office building to mark the Independence Day. At around 10.30am local time, two mortars struck near the building, causing two children and a man killed and 50 others wounded," a security source told Xinhua.

The attack by the "enemies of Afghanistan" aimed to disturb the celebration, the source said while blaming the Taliban for the attack.

"The initial reports found three persons were martyred and 49 wounded. The injured were shifted by the security forces and rescue teams to hospitals. The number of casualties might go up as some of the injured remained in critical conditions," Wahidullah Kalimzai, the provincial governor, told Xinhua.

The war-torn Afghanistan today marked the 97th anniversary of its independence from British occupation by holding meetings and celebrations across the country amid tight security.

- Bernama