Landmine blast kills 8 civilians in S. Afghan province

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Eight Afghan civilians were killed and two others injured when a militants' landmine struck a vehicle in Kandahar province, south of Afghanistan on Tuesday, a local official said Wednesday.

"The incident occurred along a dusty road in remote Arghistan district on Tuesday evening, killing eight people and injuring two others," Zia Durrani, the provincial police spokesperson, told Xinhua.

Among those killed were three women, he added.

More than 2,640 civilians were killed and over 5,370 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first nine months of the year in Afghanistan, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and landmine explosions were the third largest cause of civilians' casualties following ground fighting and suicide attacks while unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war also frequently cause casualties among the Afghans elsewhere in the country. Enditem