5 civilians killed in east Afghan shooting

Five civilians were killed while two others wounded after militants opened fire on a vehicle in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Friday morning, police said.
"Militants launched a shooting attack on a running sedan along a road in Khogyani, killing three male passengers and two children. Two other people aboard the vehicle got wounded in the attack which took place early this morning," police spokesman Hazrat Hossain Mashriqiwal told Xinhua.
The motive behind the attack remained unknown, the official said, adding the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Taliban insurgent group has intensified attacks over the past few months as the NATO and U.S. forces are withdrawing from the country. The war-torn country is due to take over the responsibility for its own security from NATO-led troops by the end of the year.
More than 1,560 civilians were killed and nearly 3,290 others wounded in conflicts and Taliban-led attacks in the first six months of 2014, according to official figures released by UN mission in the country.
The officials blamed the attacks of Taliban insurgents and other armed groups for vast majority of the civilian deaths.