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1st LD Writethru: 7 civilians killed in E. Afghanistan's roadside bomb blast: official

Xinhua, January 15, 2017 Adjust font size:

Seven civilians were killed and two others wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar on Sunday, the Interior Ministry confirmed.

"A roadside bomb which was placed by enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan hit a civilian vehicle in Bargholi village, Pachiragam district of Nangarhar province early Sunday morning. The blast resulted in martyrdom of seven civilians and wounding of two other civilians," the ministry said in a statement.

The Taliban militants and other insurgent groups have been using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians, according to military officials.

The ministry condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack, according to the statement.

More than 2,560 civilians were killed and over 5,830 injured in the first nine months of the year in conflict-related incidents across Afghanistan, according to figures released by the UN mission in the country.

Ground engagements remained the largest cause of civilian casualties, followed by suicide attacks and IED explosions. Enditem