Official: Roadside bomb strikes bus in southern Afghanistan, killing 8, including 5 women
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An Afghan official says a roadside bomb has struck a bus in the country's south, killing eight people, including five women.
Deputy governor Mohammed Rasoolyar says the bombing took place in Zabul province, along a main highway linking the capital, Kabul, with the restive south.
Rasoolyar says two children and an elderly man were also killed in Friday's explosion and that a ninth person was wounded. Police said they are investigating whether the victims were from the same family.
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No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion, but blame will likely fall on Taliban insurgents.
The south is considered a Taliban stronghold and insurgents there stage near-daily attacks against Afghan troops and also NATO soldiers. Their bombs routinely kill innocent civilians.