MEHTARLAM, Afghanistan, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Five civilians lost their lives and 12 others sustained injury as a mortar mine fired by militants slammed into a residential area in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province on Wednesday, the provincial government said in a statement on Thursday.
"Taliban rebels fired a mortar mine late Wednesday and the device struck a residential area in Khalilabad village, killing five innocent civilians and injuring 12 others," the statement said.
However, the Taliban group did not claim responsibility for the attack.
Taliban militants are active in parts of Laghman province and have gained ground over recent months.
Laghman province, with Mehtarlam as its capital 90 km east of Kabul, has been the scene of fierce fighting between the Afghan forces and the Taliban since the start of the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan in May. Enditem
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