An explosion rocked Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand province 555 km south of capital city Kabul on Saturday, killing four people and wounding 21 others, spokesman for provincial administration said.

"A suicide car bomb went off at around 11:45 a.m. local time. As a result four civilians were killed and 21 others including six civilians, 10 Afghan soldiers and five Afghan police sustained injuries," Daud Ahmadi told Xinhua.

He also added the blast happened next to a local bank branch when a number of Afghan soldiers were receiving their salaries.

The officials also blamed the attack on "the enemies of peace," a term used by Afghan officials against Taliban militants. But the outfit fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops have yet to make comment.?