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Roadside bomb blast leaves eight dead, 20 injured in Afghanistan’s Farah province

Representative Photo.

Kabul: At least eight people were killed and 40 others injured as a roadside bomb blast hit a passenger bus in Afganistan’s western province of Farah in Kabul.

“It was a bomb planted by the Taliban to hit security forces but unfortunately it got a passenger bus,” Farah provincial police spokesperson Muhibullah Muhib said.

There was no immediate confirmation that the Taliban was responsible for the blast, but Afghanistan’s largest militant group is very active in the province.

The provincial governor spokesperson Naser Mehri told APF that the explosion occurred immediately as the bus traveled through Bala Baluk district of Farah at 4:30 am (0000 GMT).

Photos posted on social media purportedly of the bus showed the vehicle’s blackened shell and dozens of Afghan men standing at the scene.

Civilians have borne the brunt of the 17-year conflict and improvised explosion devices, such as remotly detonated or pressure-plate bombs, are one of the main causes of casualties.

According to Press Trust of India (PTI), such IEDs caused 877 civilian casualties in the first half of 2018 – 232 deaths and 645 wounded – accounting for 17 percent of overall casualties.

The Taliban has a heavy presence in Farah. It launched a major attempt to take over the provincial capital in May, triggering intense fighting with US and Afghan forces.

After a day-long battle, they forced the Taliban fighters to the outskirts of the city.

 

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