KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A civilian bus in western Afghanistan hit a roadside bomb early Wednesday, leaving at least 34 passengers dead and more than a dozen injured, Afghan officials said.

The attack, in the Balaboluk district of restive Farah Province, was the latest involving mass civilian casualties in a spiraling war that the United Nations says has killed nearly 1,400 civilians — as well as several thousand Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters — so far this year alone.

Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah’s governor, said the bus had been traveling from Herat Province in the west to Kandahar in the south.

“The bus hit an improvised explosive device planted by the Taliban,” Mr. Barakzai said. “The dead and wounded have been shifted to Herat Province.” </s> At least 32 people were killed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb, a provincial official told Associated Press. However, TOLO News reported that 34 people had died.

The bus was on its way to Farah province from Herat province. Spokesperson of Farah province Mohibullah Mohib said that 15 people were severely injured in the incident and were in a critical condition, indicating that the toll could increase. “A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb,” Mohib had earlier told AFP.

There was no confirmation from the Taliban that it was behind the attack. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesperson for Farah’s governor, confirmed the toll, also warning that it may rise.

The blast came a day after the United Nations said civilians were being killed and wounded at a shocking level in Afghanistan’s war, despite efforts to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict. Casualties have dropped 27% in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year, but 1,366 civilians were killed and another 2,446 injured.

The United Nations said efforts to reduce the violence was insufficient. The organisation said US and pro-government forces caused more civilian deaths than the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the second quarter. </s> At least 28 killed as Afghan bus hits bomb

Herat: Dozens of passengers, mainly women and children, were killed in western Afghanistan early Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb, officials said.



"A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb. So far at least 28 killed, 10 wounded," said Muhibullah Muhib, the spokesman for Farah province.

All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah´s governor, confirmed the toll but warned it may rise higher.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Taliban that it was behind the attack.

It came one day after the United Nations said civilians are being killed and wounded at a "shocking" level in Afghanistan´s war, despite a push to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict.

Casualties have dropped 27 percent in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year, which was a record, but nonetheless 1,366 civilians were killed and another 2,446 injured. The UN branded efforts to reduce the violence "insufficient".

It also said that US and pro-government forces caused more civilian deaths than the Taliban and other insurgent groups for the second quarter running.

Child casualties represented almost one-third of the overall total of civilian casualties.

The bloodshed comes amid a months-long, US-led push to forge a peace deal with the Taliban that would see foreign forces quit the country in return for various security guarantees. </s> HERAT: At least 34 people were killed in western Afghanistan when their bus hit a roadside bomb, officials said Wednesday, the same day a US peace envoy indicated a peace deal with the insurgents could be imminent.

Even in a conflict where civilians die daily, Wednesday´s blast stood out as particularly devastating, as most of the victims were women and children. The explosion ripped through the bus around 6:00am (01:30 GMT) in Farah province, authorities said, along a busy highway to neighbouring Herat.

"It was dark, and the bus hit a mine," passenger Ali Juma told AFP from a hospital in Herat. "There were many casualties, martyrs and wounded people." The explosion came amid a US push for peace with the Taliban that after several slow months now appears to be making progress. US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who spent more than a week in Kabul, on Wednesday left Afghanistan for Pakistan before heading to Doha, where he is expected to hold a fresh round of talks with the Taliban.

Khalilzad, who was formerly US ambassador to Afghanistan, said his visit to Kabul had been his "most productive" yet in his new role. "I’m off to Doha, with a stop in Islamabad. In Doha, if the Taliban do their part, we will do ours, and conclude the agreement we have been working on," Khalilzad tweeted.

The push to end the Afghan war has ignited widespread concern among Afghans that in Washington’s rush to exit its longest war the Taliban will be returned to some semblance of power.

According to a UN report released Tuesday, 1,366 civilians were killed and another 2,446 wounded during the first six months of 2019. Afghan officials blamed the Taliban for Wednesday´s explosion, saying they had planted a bomb along a busy highway with the aim of hitting security forces.

The insurgents did not deny or claim involvement, saying they would investigate the "sad incident". Muhibullah Muhib, a police spokesman for Farah province, said all the victims were civilians, mostly women and children.

"A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb killing 34 innocent people and wounding 17 others," he said. Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan presidency, confirmed the toll, blaming the incident on the Taliban, while Nasrat Rahim, the interior ministry spokesman, called the blast a "barbaric act of the terrorists".

"Sadly, this senseless loss of life is all too common in Afghanistan," Onno van Manen, the Afghanistan director for Save the Children, said in a statement. "Just in the past month hundreds of children have been killed or injured as a result of explosive weapons."

The Taliban, who now control or influence about half of Afghanistan´s territory, recently signed on to a vague pledge to reduce civilian casualties, but violence has continued unabated.

Civilians have long paid a disproportionate price in the nearly 18 years since the US invaded Afghanistan, and last year was a record for civilian casualties. Numbers are down by 27 percent so far this year, but children accounted for almost a third of the overall total of civilian deaths and injuries.

Pakistan strongly condemned the horrific bomb attack on the passenger bus in Afghanistan in which civilians, including women and children, lost their lives. “Such inhuman acts of violence against innocent civilians are condemnable. Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the Foreign Office said in a press release.

It said Afghan people deserve complete peace and tranquillity in their country. It said Pakistan stands together with the government and people of Afghanistan in the efforts to comprehensively defeat and uproot the scourge of terrorism in the region.

“Our hearts go out to the innocent victims, many of them women and children. We pray for the ‘maghfirah’ of the deceased and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” it added. </s> At least 34 killed as Afghan bus hits bomb

Herat, Afghanistan: At least 34 people were killed in western Afghanistan Wednesday when the bus, they were travelling in, hit a roadside bomb, officials said, a day after the UN warned civilians were dying at "shocking" levels in the war-torn country.



The blast ripped through a passenger bus on a main highway in Farah province, at around 6:00 am (0130 GMT), authorities said, killing mainly women and children.

"A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb killing 34 innocent people and wounding 17 others," said Muhibullah Muhib, a police spokesman for Farah province.

All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said.

Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan presidency, confirmed the toll, blaming the incident on the Taliban.

Nasrat Rahim, the interior ministry spokesman, called the blast a "barbaric act of the terrorists".

There was no immediate confirmation from the insurgents that they were behind the blast. </s> The bus was full of passengers travelling to Kandahar when it struck a roadside bomb JALIL REZAYEE/EPA

At least 35 people were killed, including women and children, when a roadside bomb struck a bus in Afghanistan today as security continues to deteriorate in the run-up to elections in September.

The blast occurred on the main road between the provincial capitals of Herat and Kandahar in western Farah province bordering Iran. Local officials blamed the Taliban, claiming the bomb was meant to target Afghan security forces.

“The bus was full of passengers coming from Herat. The dead and injured include women and children,” said Mohibullah Mohib, a provincial police spokesman. “The explosives were planted by the Taliban to attack a security convoy.”

No group has admitted carrying out the attack, however. Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, denied any involvement by the insurgents. The… </s> UNITED NATIONS, Jul 31 (APP):UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly” condemned Wednesday’s attack on a bus traveling along the Kandahar-Herat Highway in Afghanistan.

According to press reports, dozens of civilians, mainly women and children, were killed when the bus they were traveling in hit an improvised explosive device. </s> Dozens of passengers, mainly women and children, were killed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb.

A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a “Taliban roadside bomb” and at least 32 were killed and 17 wounded, said Muhibullah Muhib, the spokesman for Farah province.

All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah’s governor, confirmed the toll but warned it might rise higher.

No immediate confirmation from the Taliban was given that it was behind the blast. Taliban fighters operate in the region and frequently use roadside bombs to target government officials and security forces.

The blast came one day after the United Nations said civilians were being killed and wounded at a “shocking” level in Afghanistan’s war, despite a push to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict. </s> At least 28 killed as Afghan bus hits 'Taliban' bomb

Dozens of passengers, mainly women and children, were killed in western Afghanistan early Wednesday when the bus they were travelling in hit a roadside bomb, officials said. "A passenger bus travelling on the Kandahar-Herat highway hit a Taliban roadside bomb. So far at least 28 killed, 10 wounded," said Muhibullah Muhib, the spokesman for Farah province. All were civilians, mostly women and children, he said. Farooq Barakzai, a spokesman for Farah's governor, confirmed the toll but warned it may rise higher.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Taliban that it was behind the attack. It came one day after the United Nations said civilians are being killed and wounded at a "shocking" level in Afghanistan's war, despite a push to end the nearly 18-year-old conflict. Casualties have dropped 27 percent in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year, which was a record, but nonetheless 1,366 civilians were killed and another 2,446 injured. The UN branded efforts to reduce the violence "insufficient".

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It also said that US and pro-government forces caused more civilian deaths than the Taliban and other insurgent groups for the second quarter running. Child casualties represented almost one-third of the overall total of civilian casualties.

SEE ALSO :Taliban kills eight poll commission staff in south Afghanistan-officials

The bloodshed comes amid a months-long, US-led push to forge a peace deal with the Taliban that would see foreign forces quit the country in return for various security guarantees.

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Thirty-two civilians are killed and over 20 are injured after their bus hits a land mine on the main road between Herat and Kandahar.