Suicide bombing in S. Afghanistan kills 2, injures 9

A suicide bombing killed two Afghan children and injured nine people including two ISAF soldiers in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan on Thursday, a spokesman of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told Xinhua.

"Two ISAF soldiers were injured in the bombing and they have been successfully taken to a hospital for treatment," Maj. Luke Knittig said. "According to information from Afghan Interior Ministry, two Afghan children were also killed and seven other civilians injured."

Helmand police chief Mohammad Nabi Mullahkhil told Xinhua that "a bomber strapping explosives on his body, who was on foot, targeted a British military convoy in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, at around 11:00 a.m."

He said, "It is too early to determine the bomber's identity as his body was completely smashed."

Knittig didn't say the injured soldiers' nationality, while media reports said they are British.

About 4,000 British troops have been deployed in Helmand, famous for its gigantic opium product and rising violence, to fight militants and facilitate reconstruction there.

A suicide car bombing killed three Afghan civilians and injured five others including an ISAF solider in the neighboring Kandahar province on Monday.

Because of inferiority in military equipment and tactics, Taliban and other militants have frequently carried out suicide bombings towards foreign and government targets.

Due to rising Taliban-linked violence this year, Afghanistan has plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed since the Taliban regime was toppled down nearly five years ago.

Over 2,400 people, mostly Taliban rebels, have been killed in this volatile country this year.

Source: Xinhua