9 members of family killed in Afghan roadside bomb

Representational image (Photo: IStock)


At least nine members of a family who were heading to attend a wedding were killed and four others injured after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb planted by suspected militants in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province on Thursday, according to officials.

“Nine civilians, including six women and three children, were martyred and another four, including two women and a child, were injured,” Attaullah Khogyanai, spokesman for Nangarhar governor told Efe news.

All victims were members of the same family and were travelling in their pick-up truck to attend the wedding party when the vehicle was blown apart in Wazir-Tangi area of Khogyani district in the volatile eastern province.

The blast took place around 9 am.

Wazir-Tangi is one of the most restive areas of the district. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State militants have a strong presence in eastern Afghanistan. The area is contested by the fighters of the two groups, battling each other in the region.

But no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast comes days after a teenage suicide bomber blew himself up at a wedding on July 12 that killed six people and left 20 others injured in Pachir-Aw-Agam district of Nangarhar province.

(With IANS inputs)