11 dead in new bout of violence

KABUL): Nearly a dozen people, most of them civilians, were killed during separate incidents of violence in various parts of the country over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

Six civilians were killed when a roadside bomb ripped through a tractor-trolley in the Khushamand district of southeastern Paktika province late on Thursday, the governor’s spokesman said.

The victims, who had gone to a mountain for cutting wood, came under attack on their way back, Mukhlis Afghan said, accusing insurgents of planting the explosive device.

Governor Mohibullah Samim directed security officials to launch an investigation into the incident and arrest the culprits as soon as possible, his spokesman said.

Elsewhere, a senior insurgent commander and three group leaders were killed during a NATO airstrike in the Alingar district of eastern Laghman province early on Friday, an official said.

The airstrike took place in the Noor Lam Dara’s Afghanlam area, the governor’s spokesman said. Sarhadi Zwak identified the slain commander as Mullah Zahir, who led a 25-member group.

Zahir was involved in a series of roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and foreign troops, the gubernatorial spokesman claimed.

In northern Sar-i-Pul province, a tribal elder was gunned down by unknown assailants in Balkhab district late on Thursday, police said.

Once a Taliban commander, Mohammad Ishaq Mohammadi, was on his way home when unknown gunmen opened fire at him in Gwang area, acting police chief Col. Jahangir Karamat told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Karamat said police had launched their investigation, suspecting the incident might have been a result of personal enmity.

Hassan Raza, a resident of the area, who witnessed the incident, said four gunmen attacked the elder accompanied by two other people who made good their escape.

The former Taliban regional commander had recently joined the government-initiated peace process.

ma/mud

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