10 killed from Afghan family heading to funeral

CONFLICT   AFGHANISTAN

Ten members of the same family were killed Tuesday when their car detonated a roadside bomb as they were travelling to a funeral in eastern Afghanistan, officials said. 

The victims had been driving in Khost province in a large station wagon-type vehicle when the blast occurred, according to local and national officials.

"The casualties include five men, two women and three children all from one family," Talib Mangal, a spokesman for Khost's governor, told AFP.

"They were travelling to Logar province to attend a funeral."

Provincial police spokesman Adil Haidar confirmed the toll and incident details, while interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi added it was a Taliban bomb placed by the side of the road.

The Taliban did not immediately comment. 

The attack came the same day as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released a report saying an average of nine children were killed or wounded each day in Afghanistan during the first nine months of this year.

Deadly violence continues to grip Afghanistan even as the US and the Taliban negotiate on-off talks aimed at reducing America's military footprint in the country in return for the insurgents ensuring an improved security situation.

Khost is southeast of Kabul and borders Pakistan.

Also Tuesday, a bomb shook Mazar-i-sharif, the capital of Balkh province in the north that is normally comparatively secure.

Balkh police spokesman Adil Shah Adil said a bomb concealed on a bicycle wounded 18 people including five traffic police officers.

Shafiq Shahiq, the director of Mazar central hospital, put the toll at 23 wounded.