Roadside bomb kills 11 members of one family

Eleven members of an Afghan family, mostly women and children, were killed Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while they were travelling for an engagement ceremony in the country’s volatile east.

The attack occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of Logar province but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility.

“The bomb struck their Toyota sedan when they were going for an engagement ceremony,” said Logar Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai.

“The victims included five women and five children.”

Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, who launched their annual “spring offensive” last month, for the killings.

The Taliban were not immediately reachable for comment, but roadside bombs have been the militants’ weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces.

The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians.