Roundup: Blast in south Afghanistan kills 2, wounds 21

A big blast that rocked Taliban former stronghold of Kandahar in south Afghanistan on Tuesday had left two civilians dead and injured 21 others, deputy to provincial police chief Rahmatullah Atrafi said.

"The huge explosion took place at around 7:45 a.m. local time today at the Mirwas Mina area of Kandahar city. The blast was caused after ammunition in a police station depot was exploded accidentally," Atrafi told Xinhua.

Two civilians, including a woman, were killed in the explosion, the police official said, adding that "among those injured were eight police personnel of the police station."

The police chief, however, ruled out Taliban militants' involvement in the incident, saying an investigation has been underway.

Several houses, shops and vehicles were damaged due to the blast, the official added.

Meantime, sources with the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar have confirmed that two bodies, including those of a man and a woman, and 21 injured people, including eight police and 13 civilians, had been taken to the hospital.

Taliban militants who have intensified attacks since the spring have yet to claim responsibility for the blast.

Civilians mostly bear the brunt of conflicts in the conflict- ridden Afghanistan as nearly 3,700 civilians were killed and more than 6,800 others wounded in Taliban-led attacks in 2014, according to a report released by a UN mission in February.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that 12 Taliban militants were killed and 11 others injured during series of operations.

"A total of 12 armed Taliban insurgents have been killed, 11 more rebels injured and 17 others captured during series of operations involving police and army across the country over the past 24 hours," ministry said in a statement.

Taliban-led militancy, according to political observers, will get momentum in Afghanistan in the coming months as the weather gets warmer. Endi