Mawlawi Abdul Rahim Shah Hanafi, head of the Parian Ulema Council and eight students were killed in a powerful bomb blast inside a Madrassa in the northern Parwan province in Afghanistan on Tuesday morning.

"Mawlawi Abdul Rahim Shah Hanafi,head of the Parian Ulema Council including eight students were killed in an explosion in Madrassa in Parwan provinve of Afghanistan," Tolo News reported.

Tolo News reported that the explosive device was placed inside a classroom and was detonated while the students were busy in class. No group, including the Taliban, has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.

Parwan is among the most volatile provinces in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are active and carry out frequent insurgency activities such as suicide attacks and bombings. The group had announced its spring offensive last month and vowed to carry out more attacks across the country.