Landmine kills seven members of Afghan family
Seven members of an Afghan family, including three children, have been killed in a landmine explosion in southeastern Afghanistan, officials say.
They say the incident took place late on Monday when a minivan hit a mine in Andar district of Ghazni Province.
“The minivan hit a landmine planted by the Taliban, killing seven members of a family, including three children, three women and one man,” Shafiqullah Nang, a provincial spokesman, said on Tuesday.
Qasem Disiwal, the district chief of Andar, also said that the site of the incident was heavily mined by the Taliban after they withdrew from the region following an Afghan army operation.
“Taliban have planted thousands of mines in Andar. Afghan forces defuse 20-30 landmines every day,” Disiwal said.
Ghazni Province had been hit by two roadside bombing earlier this month.
Taliban militants are active in many parts of Ghazni, which is an important gateway to the capital, Kabul, from the southeast.
Taliban use roadside bombs as a means to target officials and members of the security forces, but many civilians have fallen victim to the attacks during the past years.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains in some provinces.
The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.
NATO says the forces will focus mainly on counterterrorism operations and training Afghan soldiers and policemen.
DB/HJL/HMV
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