Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a car bomb blast Saturday that killed at least eight people in southern Afghanistan.

In a text message to journalists, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the group was behind the early-morning attack.

The explosion happened in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province.

A least 19 other people were wounded in the explosion, according to Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the province.