Seven civilians were killed when a roadside bomb exploded in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand early on Sunday, TOLO News reported.
The incident occurred in the district of Marjeh, provincial council member Mirza Hussain Alizada told news agency dpa. Omar Zwak, a spokesperson for the governor of Helmand, said there could be 10 casualties. There were women and children among the dead, local media reported.
Zwak told Chinese news agency Xinhua that the “enemies of Afghanistan”, a term used by officials to refer to the Taliban, targeted the civilians, who were travelling in a mini bus.
Three Pakistani soldiers killed
Meanwhile, three Pakistani soldiers from the Three Frontier Corps posted at the border with Afghanistan died when an Improvised Explosive Device went off, reported Geo TV. The soldiers, who were members of a bomb disposal squad, were on a routine search and clear operation at the Ghulam Khan area in North Waziristan, when the incident occurred.
Though no terrorist group claimed responsibility, Taliban militants have targeted Pakistani soldiers in a similar manner in the past, reported AFP.
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