Mazar-I-Sharif: Nine civilians
were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghlan province, northern
Afghanistan, as they travelled to a wedding on Sunday, police and
local officials said.
Six women, two men and a child died in the blast, which
happened as the vehicle travelled from Pul-e-Khumri, the
provincial capital, to a village in the province, on a road
often used by foreign forces.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the
blast.
"A mine struck a civilian minibus," provincial governor
Abdul Majeed said.
"Nine civilians -- six women, a child and two men -- have
been killed. The road is often used by the PRT (provincial
reconstruction team) soldiers. All the casualties are
civilians."
The incident was also confirmed by Major Qudratullah, a
spokesman for police in Baghlan province.
The incident came a day after six civilians were killed
by a roadside bomb which hit a minibus in the Sangin district
of southern Afghanistan`s troubled Helmand province.
Afghanistan`s interior ministry says that last year 2,043
civilians died as a result of Taliban attacks and military
operations targeting the militants.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or home-made bombs
are a frequent cause of death for civilians in Afghanistan.
There are around 140,000 international troops in the
country fighting the Taliban insurgents who were ousted from
power in a 2001 US-led invasion.
PTI
