2nd LD Writethru: 6 civilians killed in Afghan suicide bombing

Six civilians, including two women, were killed and 26 others wounded in a suicide bombing near a hospital in Afghanistan's eastern province of Parwan on Tuesday, an official said.

"The blast took place in Sia Gird District, western of provincial capital Charikar city, at around 9:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT). As a result six civilians lost their lives and 26 others were injured," district Governor Mohammad Sayyed Seddiqi told Xinhua.

The attacker was also killed on the spot.

Some injured, who sustained serious wounds, were shifted to Charikar city, 50 km north of Afghan capital of Kabul, the source added.

Several children and women were also affected by the blast as a local school is located near the blast site, according of locals.

The target of the attack remained unknown and no group has claimed the responsibility for the incident.

However, local officials blamed enemies of Afghanistan, a term referring to Taliban militant group, for the attack.

The Taliban, which ruled the country before they were ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, killing soldiers as well as civilians.

On Feb. 22, 13 people, including six policemen, were killed and 11 others injured after a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a police patrol in the same district.

More than 3,540 civilians were killed and over 7,450 injured as the violence spread in different places of Afghanistan last year, according to a report by the UN mission in the country in February.

The report has attributed 62 percent of the casualties to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, 17 percent were attributed to security forces while the rest 21 percent of civilian casualties were unattributed or caused by explosive remnants of war. Enditem