1st LD Writethru: 5 civilians, 1 soldier killed in eastern Afghanistan's attack
Xinhua, September 15, 2015 Adjust font size:
About five civilians and one army soldier were killed when militants attacked a vehicle in Afghanistan's eastern province of Ghazni on Tuesday morning, the provincial government spokesman said.
"A civilian car which had given a lift to two army soldiers was running along a main road at early hours of the day. The militants fired on the vehicle in Char Dewar locality, killing five passengers and one army soldier aboard the vehicle and injuring one soldier," spokesman Shafiq Nang told Xinhua.
The vehicle was travelling to the neighboring Paktia province when the attack took place, he said.
The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since mid-April when the militant group launched annual rebel offensive against Afghan security forces.
The Taliban urged civilians to stay away from official gatherings, military convoys and centers regarded as the legitimate targets by militants besides warning people not to support the government.
Nearly 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,300 others wounded in conflicts and attacks in the first half of the year, according to UN mission figures. Endi