At least 10 civilians were killed in a blast in Kabul and another in Kandahar on Sunday amid rising hopes for peace as the Loya Jirga delegates approved the release of high-value Taliban prisoners, a key step hoped to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations.
The two explosions happened on Sunday afternoon. The first happened in the west of Kabul at a market in Company area.
According to the Interior Affairs Ministry, the bomb was placed on a pushcart in the market and exploded when the area was about to be cordoned off by police forces who were attempting to defuse it.
The blast left two civilians, including a woman, dead and five policemen wounded, according to the ministry.
Another explosion happened in Arghistan district of the southern province of Kandahar when a civilian vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Sheen Nari village in the district, the ministry said.
The ministry added in a statement that the Kandahar roadside bombing killed eight civilians.
This comes amid increasing efforts by the government to kickstart the much-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts.