18 Afghan civilians killed in roadside bomb

KABUL: Eighteen Afghan civilians were killed on Friday when a roadside bomb destroyed their mini-van in the Nahri Sarraj district of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Afghan commander Sayed Malook said the vehicle was travelling to the provincial capital Lashkar Gah when it was hit.

"Today at around 09:00 am, an IED (improvised explosive device) went off on a passenger mini-van in Nahri Sarraj district while en route to Lashkar Gah city," said Malook, from 205 Maiwand Army corps in Helmand province.

Violence against civilians is at a record-high in the war, with more than 1,400 Afghan civilians killed in the conflict this year, up 15 percent on the first half of 2010, according to a recently released United Nations report.

According to the UN, insurgents are responsible for 80 percent of civilian casualties with 14 percent due to NATO and Afghan forces. (AFP)