Roadside bomb kills 21 civilians in S Afghanistan

KABUL, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Nearly two dozen civilians were killed as a tractor carrying villagers was struck by a roadside mine on Wednesday in Helmand province south of Afghanistan, an official said on Thursday.

"A tractor full of civilians ran over a mine in Darvishian village of Garmsir district at 11:00 a.m. local time (GMT0730) on Wednesday, as a result 21 people, including children and women, were killed and six others sustained injuries," a senior military commander in the region Shir Mohammad Zazi told Xinhua.

Zazi said these villagers were on their way to a wedding party when the bloody incident took place.

However, he did not point finger at any particular groups or individuals.

Often Taliban militants fighting Afghan government, plant mines on roads to target security forces but the militias have yet to make comment.

In another incident, five police with Afghan National Police (ANP) were killed and three others got wounded as their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Helmand province on Thursday, said a statement of Interior Ministry.