1 civilian killed, 16 injured as insurgents attack bus in S. Afghanistan

1 civilian killed, 16 injured as insurgents attack bus in S. Afghanistan

One civilian was killed and 16 others injured Thursday morning when insurgents attacked a passenger bus in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, spokesman for provincial government said.

"A passenger bus was travelling from western Herat province to capital city of Kabul but a group of insurgents intended to stop it in Houzi Khoshk area in Gereshk district in the wee hours Thursday but the driver deliberately ignored to stop the bus for fear of passengers'live," spokesman for provincial government Daud Ahmadi told Xinhua.

He said the armed insurgents shortly opened fire on the running bus killing a child and injuring 16 people included eight women, four men and four children.

He said the injured were transported to a district hospital in Gereshk north of provincial capital Lashkar Gah town.

The motive of the attack was not immediately known, however, insurgents often stop vehicles for searching soldiers and government employees especially in restive southern provinces.

Ahmadi blamed Taliban insurgents for the attack, however, the insurgent group has yet to make comments.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group announced to launch spring offensive from May 1 against Afghan and NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan.

The militant group warned people against supporting government and foreign troops.

Lashkar Gah town, some 555 km south of capital Kabul, was among seven areas where Afghan security forces took security responsibilities from NATO forces in July this year, parts of a security transition process which will run to 2014 when Afghanistan will take over the full leadership of its own security duties from U.S. and NATO forces.

English.news.cn   2011-10-06 12:08:37 FeedbackPrintRSS
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Oct. 6 (Xinhua)