News - Afghanistan

At least 27 people have been killed and more than 50 others injured while traveling in northern Afghanistan in two separate incidents, local officials said Friday.

A roadside bomb tore through a minibus carrying people in Dawlat Abad district of northern Balkh province on Friday, killing at least 19 people and injuring 16, the Ministry of Interior spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

Most of the victims were children and women, he said Friday.

No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Insurgents use improvised explosive devices (IED) to target Afghan and Nato troops, but most of the victims are civilians.

It comes after a deadly bus-and-truck collision on Thursday night killed eight people and injured 36 more, mainly football fans, in northern Jawzjan province which borders with Balkh.

The incident took place about 09:00 PM local time, when a minibus of football fans crashed with an oil tanker, the head of 303 Pamir Corps in northern Afghanistan Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai told TOLOnews.

The fans were headed to Kabul to support their football team in the grand final of the country's first premier league, he said.

"Unfortunately, eight football fans were killed and 36 others were injured in the accident as their vehicle collided with a fuel tanker on the Shibirghan to Aqcha highway late on Thursday," he added.

The grand final was held in Kabul on Friday afternoon between teams from the north Simorgh Alborz and the west Toofan Harirod.

The fans were on their way from Jawzjan province to Kabul 300 kilometres away.