Bomb kills 9 in Afghanistan

KABUL: An improvised bomb laid by insurgents killed nine civilians, including women and children, in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, according to a NATO statement.

The victims died when their vehicle hit the device in the Zurmat district of Paktya province, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said, with initial reports suggesting three young children may be among the dead.

Colonel Rafael Torres, an ISAF spokesman, condemned the attack, saying the Taliban had "complete disregard for innocent women and children".

Authorities in the area, where the Taliban have a strong influence, could not immediately be contacted for more details on the attack.

Thousands of Afghan civilians have died in insurgent attacks and operations by Afghan and Western troops since the insurgency by remnants of the Taliban regime, began in 2001.

According to a UN report, more than 1,200 civilians were killed in the first six months of 2010, an increase of 25 percent on the same period in 2009.

The majority of civilian deaths and injuries have been blamed on the Taliban, who rely largely on roadside bombs and suicide attackers, which kill and maim indiscriminately.