20 people were killed on Saturday in a series of bombs and explosions in Afghanistan’s southern and eastern flashpoints.

20 people were killed on Saturday in a series of bombs and explosions in Afghanistan’s southern and eastern flashpoints.
Among the killed at least eight children and four women, officials said.

In the deadliest attack, 15 people were killed when a vehicle hit a mine in Arghandab district of the southern province of Kandahar.
"Today at 10:00 am, 15 civilians were killed, including eight children, four women and three men," government official said, adding that one woman was also wounded in the explosion.

In the eastern province of Khost, a suicide bomber killed three people including the commander of a provincial Afghan police rapid reaction force and wounded 12 others, officials said.
The attacker blew himself up in front of the police unit's base, Khost deputy police chief Mohammad Yahqoob Mandozai told AFP news agency.

"The commander of the the unit, Colonel Zaher ... has been killed", Mandozai said. "The suicide attacker who was waiting outside the base detonated himself as the vehicle carrying the police commander exited the base."
The interior ministry said two policemen -- including Zaher -- and a civilian were killed in the attack.

Also in the east, in ern Laghman province, two policemen were killed and nine wounded in two successive blasts.
The interior ministry said the first explosion occurred in the provincial capital Mehtar Lam, which caused no casualties, followed by a second explosion when police arrived at the scene, causing the fatalities.