PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Eight Afghan civilians were killed and six others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Pul-e-Khumri, provincial capital of the northern Baghlan province, local police said on Monday.

"The incident happened at about 9:00 a.m. local time Monday, when a vehicle carrying civilians touched off an improvised explosive device (IED) , resulting in the death of eight people including four women, two children and two men," provincial police spokesman Ahmad Jawid Besharat told Xinhua.

The explosion occurred in Akakhil, an area of Dand-e-Shahabuddin district on the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri city, the spokesman said, adding, "The injured individuals, some in serious condition, were shifted to a nearby hospital and next of kin of the victims were notified."

The incident came as the Afghan army and police discovered and defused about 20 IEDs and landmines in a search operation in some parts of Baghlan on Sunday.

The police official blamed enemies of peace, referring to the Taliban militant group, for the attack.

Taliban militants have been using home-made IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

Seven people, including four members of a family, were killed on Saturday in a similar incident in eastern Paktia province. Enditem

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