Afghan bombings kill 25

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Afghan bombings kill 25

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At least 25 people were killed in bomb attacks in province of Heart.

18 August,2011 03:18 pm

Bomb attacks killed 25 people in Afghanistan on Thursday, ripping through a minibus packed with civilians and targeting a US-run base in the east bordering Pakistan, officials said.The attacks in opposite ends of the country underscored how pernicious Taliban-led insurgents have become in fighting to bring down the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai and evict 140,000 US-led foreign troops.Women and children were among the casualties when a roadside bomb tore through the minibus in the western province of Herat, killing 25 civilians, the provincial government said.The bus was travelling between the district of Obe and the provincial capital Herat city, local administration spokesman, Moheyddin Noori, said.A similar explosion hit a truck and injured four people in Obe district, Noori said. He was unable to give any further details immediately.The local government spokesman blamed the bombing on the armed opposition groups -- a reference to Taliban-led insurgents, who have been fighting to win back power since the 2001 US-led invasion ousted them from government in Kabul.Improvised bombs, built with old ammunition, have been the weapon of choice for the Taliban and other insurgents for nearly 10 years.But the poorly-made devices often kill civilians travelling on Afghan dirt roads between their villages and big cities.Military officials say the makeshift bombs, also known as IEDs (improvised-explosive devices) are the main killer of troops in the US-led NATO force deployed in Afghanistan and local Afghan security forces.The Herat explosion followed a suicide car bombing at a US-run base in the eastern province of Paktia, killing two Afghan guards.While western Afghanistan is considered relatively secure, the east has long been a flashpoint for violence, which Western officials say is fuelled by rear bases operated by the Taliban and other Islamist networks in Pakistan.The bomber apparently tried to drive his explosive-laden vehicle into the base but was intercepted by guards, officials said.The Paktia provincial police chief said three people, two contracted guards and a border police officer in a nearby police base had been wounded.