Afghan conflicts claim 19 lives, including 6 civilians

The ongoing Afghan militancy and conflicts have claimed the lives of 19 people, including six civilians, since Saturday, officials said on Sunday.

In the latest violent incident which happened in the eastern Ghazni province, four civilians and all members of a family, were killed as a roadside bomb struck their car on Sunday, police said.

"Our members of a family including two children and their parents were killed as their car ran over a mine in Gilan district of Ghazni province on Sunday," deputy to provincial police chief Assadullah Insafi told reporters.

The official blamed enemies of peace, a reference to the Taliban militants for the deadly attack.

In a similar violent incident which happened in Ghazni's neighboring Wardak province on the same day, two civilians were killed and six others wounded after a roadside bomb struck a vehicle, said a statement of provincial government.

"A minibus ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on a road in Daymirdad district of Wardak province early Sunday morning, leaving two civilians dead and injuring six others," the statement said.

Moreover, the Taliban militants raided police checkpoints in the southern Helmand province overnight Saturday, killing five police personnel.

"Unknown number of militants attacked police checkpoints in Sangin district of Helmand province last night. The security forces responded to the attack, triggering gun battle which lasted for several hours, during which five police had been killed," Helmand's provincial police chief Nabi Jan Mullahkhel told Xinhua.

Several more militants had also been killed and injured in the clash, he said.

Meantime, the government forces in exerting pressure against Taliban outfit have killed eight militants and injured nine others in the northern Baghlan province since Saturday.

"Units of Police backed by the army have killed eight Taliban rebels and injured nine others in Baghlan-e-Markazai district, of Baghlan province over the past two days and several villages have been liberated from Taliban clutch," General Assadullah Shirzad told reporters.

The militancy and conflicts would further increase in the coming months in Afghanistan as the Taliban militants, according to observers, would avail opportunities in spring and summer to grab more land ahead of winter onset in the mountainous country.