Those killed in the attack included four children and recruits for the Afghan national army [Reuters]

A suicide attack on an army recruitment centre in North Afghanistan's Kunduz province has killed at least 37 people and wounded nearly 42 others.

Provincial governor told Al Jazeera correspondent Sue Turton, reporting from the capital Kabul, that the dead included four children and recruits for the Afghan national army.

A spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province, Mahboubullah Sayedi, confirmed the attack.

"There was a suicide attack at the army recruitment centre in Kunduz city," he said. "Most of those killed were volunteers who wanted to join the army."

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Ramping up attacks

This is a sign of how much the Taliban has been ramping up attacks on the northern province of Kunduz in the last three months, our correspondent said.

Four days ago, the police commander of Kunduz was killed in a suicide attack. Three months earlier, the same army centre was blown up by four suicide bombers.

Our correspondent said the Taliban is using the tactic to try to deter people from joining the army and Afghan police.

The previous governor of the restive region was killed in an attack last October on a mosque where he was worshipping.

The Afghan police and army are due to take responsibility for security in the country from 2014, allowing the bulk of international troops to withdraw. There are currently around 140,000 international military personnel in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban.