This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/8280012.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Afghan bus blast kills civilians Afghan bus blast kills civilians
(11 minutes later)
At least 12 civilians have been killed in southern Afghanistan by a roadside bomb which blew up a bus, police and officials say.At least 12 civilians have been killed in southern Afghanistan by a roadside bomb which blew up a bus, police and officials say.
The bus was travelling through Kandahar province when it hit the device, police chief Bismullah Khan said. The bus was travelling through Kandahar province when it hit the device, police chief Bismullah Khan said, adding that 15 other civilians were injured.
Fifteen other civilians were hurt in the blast, he told Associated Press. Another official blamed Taliban insurgents for planting the bomb.
Roadside bombs are often planted by militants to attack foreign and Afghan forces, but the devices kill many more civilians than they do soldiers. Militants often use such devices to attack the military, but they kill many more civilians than they do soldiers.
Provincial government spokesman Zalmai Ayoubi told Reuters news agency that women and children were among the dead.
He blamed the Taliban and said a similar blast on the same road had killed three civilians a day earlier.
The deaths come shortly after Anders Fogh Rasmussen made his first speech as secretary-general of Nato. Speaking in Washington, the former Danish prime minister called on European nations to stand with US forces in Afghanistan.
Rising military casualties in Afghanistan have undermined public support for the operation in many European countries.