Alwaght- At least 11 Afghan civilians have been killed and dozens more sustained injuries in southern province of Kandahar as the result of a roadside bombing attack by Taliban militants.
According to provincial police chief Tadin Khan, the deadly terror incident occurred around 02:00 p.m. (0930 GMT) on Monday, when a truck full of passengers hit the roadside bomb planted by the Taliban militant group.
“In the blast, 11 people were martyred and 34 others were wounded. Women and children are among the victims,” Khan said.
Yousof Younosi, a provincial council member in Kandahar, said some of the wounded were in critical condition. All the victims were members of the same family and their close relatives who were on their way to a shrine, he said.
No group claimed immediate responsibility and the Taliban have not commented on the incident in the southern province, which is the birthplace of the militant group. but Younosi blamed the Taliban, who often use roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces in the province.
The incident came two days after the Taliban claimed another bombing attack on a hotel in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of northwestern province of Badghis, which killed at least eight people and wounded nearly a dozen more, mostly security forces.
The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan under the guise of the war on terror in 2001. While the invasion ended the Taliban's rule in the country, it has failed to eliminate the militant group. Some 18 years on, Washington is seeking truce with the militants as the Taliban has boosted its campaign of violence across the country.
Washington is currently engaged in direct talks with the militants, who are against including the Kabul government in the peace process. The peace efforts have not stopped Taliban from launching attacks.
In April, the Taliban announced the beginning of its spring offensive in Afghanistan despite the ongoing negotiations with the US.
