Bomb Kills Nine Civilians in Afghanistan

A roadside bomb killed nine civilians including women and children when it struck the vehicle they were traveling in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, provincial police said.

The civilians were driving into Khost city, capital of Khost province, when the blast hit their van, deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Yaqoub Mandozai told AFP.

"Three women, four children and two men were killed by the roadside bomb explosion. They were all civilians," Mandozai said.

He blamed the attack on "enemies of Afghanistan" a term often used to refer to Taliban militants who have waged a bloody insurgency against Afghan and foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Home made bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, are the weapon of choice for the Taliban insurgents and the main cause of casualties among Afghan and foreign forces.

The insurgents also use suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

Three rockets were fired into the heart of Kabul Saturday morning, with one landing close to the presidential palace, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said.

However the attack came before the start of the rush hour when the city was almost empty and caused no casualties.

One rocket landed near the river that runs near the presidential compound and other ministries, and two others hit a mixed residential and market area.

The rockets were launched from the eastern edge of the city, Bashary said blaming "enemies of Afghanistan".