Roundup: Gun battle, bomb blast claim 16 lives, wound 24 within day in Afghanistan

A total of 16 people have been killed and two dozen others sustained injuries in the northern Kunduz and southern Uruzgan provinces of Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials confirmed.

In the latest violent incident which happened in Uruzgan province with Trinkot as its capital, 370 km south of the national capital Kabul city, at least two persons lost their lives and 16 others injured, spokesman for provincial government, Dost Mohammad Nayab said.

"A mine planted by militants struck two vehicles on a road in Jambarak Kotal of Deh Rawad district at around 01:00 p.m. local time today killing two civilians on the spot and injuring 16 others," Nayab told Xinhua.

Women and children are also among the victims, the official asserted.

He also blamed Taliban militants for organizing the bloody bombing. However, the armed outfit which is largely relying on suicide and roadside bombings is yet to claim responsibility.

Earlier on the day, six police personnel and eight Taliban militants were killed as clash flared up in the northern Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital 250 km north of Kabul, police said.

"Unknown number of militants attacked security checkpoints in Sarak-e-Bala area of Chardara district, Kunduz province in the wee hours of Tuesday triggering a six-hour gun battle during which six policemen and eight Taliban rebels had been killed," district police chief Colonel Noorullah told Xinhua.

Six militants and two police were wounded as a result of the clash, the police chief said.

Bordering Tajikistan, Kunduz province has been the scene of heavy fighting over the past several months.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April 24 when the militant group launched its so-called annual spring offensive in different parts of the militancy-plagued Afghanistan which have claimed hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and civilians. Endi