国际英语新闻:18 civilians killed in eastern Afghan roadside bombing

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen civilians were killed and five others wounded Sunday evening in a roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan's province of Ghazni, a provincial source told Xinhua.

"A minibus was moving on a road in Andar district at around 4: 30 p.m. local time. It touched off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The explosion killed 18 and injured five," the deputy provincial governor Ali Ahmadi told Xinhua.

The victims included 14 women, one child and three men with majority of them from the same family.

The official said majority of the five injured women were in critical conditions, adding they were moving home after attending a weeding party in the village. He blamed Taliban insurgent group for the attack.

The Taliban has intensified attacks since they launched annual rebel offensive late April. They often attack Afghan and NATO-led forces with IEDs and roadside bombs but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan recently reported that over 1,319 Afghans were killed and more than 2,500 wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in the first half of the year.