The Afghan Interior Ministry reports that at least 30 civilians were killed and 39 injured when their bus hit a roadside bomb around 40 kilometres west of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

The bus was on its way to Kandahar from Herat in the north of the country. The Afghan authorities say the Taliban, who are extremely active in the region, are responsible for the attack.

According to a United Nations report, a record 1,500 civilians have been killed in the first six months of this year, a 24 percent increase over last year. However the Mid-Year Bulletin on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan emphasises that the figure may be much higher since only recorded deaths are reported.

The report says some 59 percent of the civilian deaths were caused by insurgents, while 30.5 percent were caused by Afghan and NATO security forces.

Outskirts of city of Kandahar
Photo by Wikimedia Commons