Bomb kills nine civilians in Afghanistan

Khost, Feb 26 (AFP) A roadside bomb today killed ninecivilians including women and children when it struck thevehicle they were travelling in eastern Afghanistan,provincial police said.

The civilians were driving into Khost city, capital ofKhost province, when the blast hit their van, deputyprovincial police chief Mohammad Yaqoub Mandozai said.

"Three women, four children and two men were killed bythe roadside bomb explosion. They were all civilians,"Mandozai said.

He blamed the attack on "enemies of Afghanistan" aterm often used to refer to Taliban militants who have waged abloody insurgency against Afghan and foreign forces inAfghanistan.

Home made bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, arethe weapon of choice for the Taliban insurgents and the maincause of casualties among Afghan and foreign forces.

The insurgents also use suicide bombings and rocketattacks.

Three rockets were fired into the heart of Kabul todaymorning, with one landing close to the presidential palace,interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said.

However, the attack came before the start of the rushhour when the city was almost empty and caused no casualties.

One rocket landed near the river that runs near thepresidential compound and other ministries, and two others hita mixed residential and market area.

The rockets were launched from the eastern edge of thecity, Bashary said blaming "enemies of Afghanistan".

Meanwhile, Afghanistan''s NDS spy agency announced ithad arrested three suicide bombers from southern and easternAfghanistan including one Pakistani national, who wereplanning attacks in Afghanistan.

Taliban suicide bombers attacked a bank and twoshopping centers in Kabul last month.

Five suicide attackers targeted a bank in the easterncity of Jalalabad last Sunday killing around 40 people andwounding another 70.

Lutfullah Mashal, spokesman for National Directorateof Security (NDS), said it had captured the main organiser ofthe Jalalabad bank attack and a facilitator in Kabul who washosting suicide attackers. (AFP)