South Korea strongly denounces last week's bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 68 people and wounded over 160, mostly young schoolgirls, the foreign ministry said Monday.

"Our government strongly denounces the attack that occurred near a school in the Afghan capital of Kabul on May 8. We also extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families," ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a commentary.

The car bombing came amid escalating tensions between its government and the Taliban forces as the United States is pulling its troops out of the country. The Afghan leader has blamed the Taliban for the attack, but the militant group has denied involvement. (Yonhap)