13 civilians killed in Afghanistan IED blast

Kabul: Thirteen civilians, including six children, were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Friday, an official said.

"The victims -- six children, two women, five men -- were admitted at the Spin Boldak district hospital following the explosion," Ahmad Jawid Afghan, director of the hospital, told Xinhua news agency.

Local residents said the blast occurred when a mini bus came in contact with the IED in the Loya Kariz locality.

They said the victims were returning home after attending a wedding and the vehicle was destroyed in the blast. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet.

Militants in Afghanistan have been using home-made IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines to target security forces, but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians. More than 800 civilians were killed and over 2,330 others wounded in IED explosions in 2019, according to official figures.