Roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan leaves 5 dead

At least five civilians were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar province.

At least five civilians were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar province, officials said on Tuesday.

Afghan men carry a man injured in a bomb blast in Faryab province.

Samim Khpolwak, the governor’s spokesperson, says the explosion, which took place in Shah Wali Kot district early on Tuesday, also wounded four people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Kandahar is regarded by the Taliban as their heartland. It had been largely peaceful for some years until a recent resurgence in insurgent violence.

In neighbouring Helmand province, police chief Noor Agha Kemtoz says the Taliban shadow governor, Abdul Manan, was killed by Afghan security forces in Marjah district late on Monday.

However, Taliban spokesperson Qari Yusouf Ahmadi denied reports of Manan’s death. The Taliban have set up many provincial “shadow” administrations mirroring the government.