Kunduz: Five civilians and one policeman
were killed on Friday by a bicycle bomb which exploded in a busy
bazaar in northern Afghanistan.
Women and children were among 22 others injured in the
blast, which took place around 6:00 pm (1900 IST) in Khan Abad
district, Kunduz province, on Afghanistan's main weekly day of
rest.
"The bomb was attached to a bicycle and went off in
the bazaar in Khan Abad district," said Kunduz provincial
spokesman Mahboobullah Saeedi. "So far we have confirmed six
people including one policeman dead."
Provincial police spokesman Sarwar Hussaini confirmed
the death toll and blamed the Taliban for the attack, although
the militants were not immediately contactable.
"Six people have been killed and 22 others injured as
a result of today's explosion," Hussaini said.
"There is one policeman among the dead. There are also
three children, four women and one policeman among the
injured. It was a busy bazaar. The Taliban are responsible --
they want to terrorise people."
The Taliban frequently target the Afghan police and
other government employees in their near decade-long
insurgency.
But civilians are the biggest casualties in the war,
with 2,777 killed last year, according to the United Nations.
The north of Afghanistan is traditionally more stable
than the volatile south and east but has seen an upsurge of
violence in recent times.
PTI
First Published: Friday, June 24, 2011, 23:24