Taliban bomb kills seven Afghan civilians

Kabul, April 17: A roadside bomb planted by the Taliban tore through a van in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing seven civilians and wounding three others, a provincial official said.

The civilians were travelling to the town of Shindand in Herat province when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device often used in Taliban attacks on troops, said Mohidin Noori, a provincial government spokesman.

"It was the work of enemies of Afghanistan, the terrorists," Noori told AFP, referring to the Taliban insurgents. He said women and children were among the casualties but had no details.

Police in Herat confirmed the incident, the second of its type in two days in the country.

On Monday a roadside bomb hit a tractor in southern Afghanistan, killing seven civilians and wounding four.

Roadside bombings and other explosions are a key weapon used by Taliban and other insurgents against Afghan troops and members of a US-led foreign force.

Civilians are often casualties of the blasts.

In the capital Kabul on Wednesday, a bomb planted in a rubbish bin near parliament caused panic among citizens but there were no casualties, a police spokesman said.