Afghanistan: Roadside bomb kills 13 civilians

A roadside bomb ripped through a van in the south of Afghanistan, killing 13 people, the country’s government said today.

The Ministry of Interior said the explosion struck in Shamulzayi district of Zabul province this morning.

The ministry also said two gunmen riding on a motorcycle killed a local council member in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand province.

And in Kabul, several hundred people demonstrated against rocket attacks that have killed an estimated 36 civilians along the eastern border with Pakistan in recent weeks.

Pakistan’s army has said no rounds were intentionally fired but that some may have accidentally fallen in Afghanistan in fighting with militants carrying out cross-border attacks.