At least 32 people were killed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb, a provincial official told Associated Press. However, TOLO News reported that 34 people had died.

The bus was on its way to Farah province from Herat province. Spokesperson of Farah province Mohibullah Mohib said that 15 people were severely injured in the incident and were in a critical condition, indicating that the toll could increase. “A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb,” Mohib had earlier told AFP.

There was no confirmation from the Taliban that it was behind the attack. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesperson for Farah’s governor, confirmed the toll, also warning that it may rise.

The blast came a day after the United Nations said civilians were being killed and wounded at a shocking level in Afghanistan’s war, despite efforts to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict. Casualties have dropped 27% in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year, but 1,366 civilians were killed and another 2,446 injured.

The United Nations said efforts to reduce the violence was insufficient. The organisation said US and pro-government forces caused more civilian deaths than the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the second quarter. </s> At least eight Afghan civilians, including four children, have been killed in an attack in the western Farah Province, Afghan officials says, although it was immediately unclear whether they died in a military air strike or a roadside bomb blast.

Muhammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said on March 4 the incident late on March 3 was a roadside bomb explosion that took place in the Bala Buluk district.

But family members of the victims say they were hit by an air strike.

One resident, a 30-year-old mother of four named Salima, said two of her children were killed and a third wounded in an air strike.

Dawlat Waziri, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said an investigation of the incident was under way.

"We are aware of the allegations made by the local people, right now an investigation is going on into the incident in Farah," Waziri said.

At least 22 other people were wounded in the attack, according to local hospital officials.

Farah's Bala Buluk district has been the scene of several recent clashes between Afghan security forces and armed insurgents.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa </s> Dozens of passengers, mainly women and children, were killed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb.

A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a “Taliban roadside bomb” and at least 32 were killed and 17 wounded, said Muhibullah Muhib, the spokesman for Farah province.

All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah’s governor, confirmed the toll but warned it might rise higher.

No immediate confirmation from the Taliban was given that it was behind the blast. Taliban fighters operate in the region and frequently use roadside bombs to target government officials and security forces.

The blast came one day after the United Nations said civilians were being killed and wounded at a “shocking” level in Afghanistan’s war, despite a push to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict. </s> KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A civilian bus in western Afghanistan hit a roadside bomb early Wednesday, leaving at least 34 passengers dead and more than a dozen injured, Afghan officials said.

The attack, in the Balaboluk district of restive Farah Province, was the latest involving mass civilian casualties in a spiraling war that the United Nations says has killed nearly 1,400 civilians — as well as several thousand Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters — so far this year alone.

Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah’s governor, said the bus had been traveling from Herat Province in the west to Kandahar in the south.

“The bus hit an improvised explosive device planted by the Taliban,” Mr. Barakzai said. “The dead and wounded have been shifted to Herat Province.” </s> KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — An Afghan official says a roadside bomb has killed at least six people in the southern Kandahar province.

Fazel Bari, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the bomb struck a fuel tanker Monday.

No one claimed the attack, but the Taliban are active in the area and frequently target the convoys of Afghan and international forces. On Friday, a suicide car bomber rammed a convoy in Kandahar, killing a Romanian soldier. </s> An Afghan official says at least eight children have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Faryab province.

Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief, says six other kids were wounded in the blast that took place late Friday afternoon in Shirin Tagab district.

Yuresh says that according to a hospital report, two of the wounded kids are in critical condition. All of the children are between 5 and 12 years of age and were playing when the bomb exploded, he added.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Yuresh blamed Taliban insurgents who usually plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces in different part of the province.

Be the first to know. No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story. </s> At least eight Afghan civilians, including four children, were killed in an attack late Friday night in western Farah province, according to Afghan officials. However there is disagreement over what exactly caused the deaths. Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Saturday that the incident was a roadside bomb explosion which took place in the Bala Buluk district. But family members of the victims are claiming they were hit by an airstrike.

General Dawlat Waziri, a Defense Ministry spokesman, told The Associated Press that an investigation of the incident is underway. “We are aware of the allegations made by the local people, right now an investigation is going on into the incident in Farah,” Waziri said. Dr Abdul Hakim Rasouli, director of Farah Hospital, said that 22 others are wounded in the attack. Three of the wounded are in critical condition and will be transferred to another hospital in neighboring Herat province for their further treatment, he said.

Farah’s Bala Buluk district has been the site of several recent clashes between Afghan security forces and armed insurgents. One resident, a 30-year-old mother of four named Salima, said two of her children were killed and a third wounded. In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Salima, who like many Afghans goes by only one name, said her family was hit by an airstrike.

“I don’t want to be alive anymore while I don’t have my children with me,” she said, crying. Samila said that her village had been the site of ongoing gun battles for the past three days and that Taliban militants had warned villagers to leave their homes for safety. </s> At least seven civilians were killed and two others were injured when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in eastern Nangarhar province, officials said.

Spokesman of the provincial governor, Ataullah Khogyani confirmed the incident and said a woman and a child are among those killed in the incident.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said the blast took place in Bargholi village of Nangarhar province early Sundy.

MoI condemned the blast and call it “unforgivable and shameful” act of enemies of peace and stability in Afghanistan and promised to introduce the perpetrators to judicial institutions. </s> At least eight children have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Faryab province, an Afghan official has said.

Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief, said six other children were wounded in the blast that took place late Friday afternoon in Shirin Tagab district.

Yuresh said that according to a hospital report, two of the wounded children were in critical condition. He said all of the children were between five and 12 years of age and were playing when the bomb exploded.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Yuresh blamed Taliban insurgents who usually planted roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces in different part of the province.
According to provincial officials, at least eight people are killed and another 22 are injured by a roadside bomb in Farah Province. However, according to locals, the attack was actually an airstrike.