South Asia News

8-year old Afghan girl carrying bomb for militants killed: official

Jun 26, 2011, 10:58 GMT

Kabul - An 8-year old Afghan girl was the sole victim when insurgents detonated the bomb they made her to carry and place near the security forces, an official said Sunday.

'Terrorists made an innocent 8-year old girl to carry a bag with bomb and place it near the Afghan security forces,' Sediq Seddiqi, spokesman for the Interior Ministry said.

The incident took place in Waesbala area in Charchino district in southern Afghanistan.

'They detonated the bomb and killed her. There were no other casualties,' Seddiqi said.

He said the bomb was detonated before she reached the Afghan security forces. The Taliban could not be reached for comment.

On Saturday, a suicide car bomber blew himself up next to a hospital in central Logar province on Saturday killing scores of civilians, mostly women and children, in one of the largest attacks on civilians in Afghanistan

The provincial governor's spokesman said 35 were killed in the bombing. Seddiqi of the Interior Ministry said only 20 were killed.

The Taliban denied involvement in the bombing.

Afghan civilians have been the main victims of the nearly decade-long war in Afghanistan. Last month was the deadliest month for the war-weary civilian population of Afghanistan.

More than 360 civilians were killed in May, with 82 percent of the fatalities caused by the insurgents, according to United Nations.