13 Afghan civilians were killed on Thursday as a Taliban roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle in the country’s southern province of Uruzgan.

13 Afghan civilians were killed on Thursday as a Taliban roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle in the country’s southern province of Uruzgan.

The blast hit a station wagon travelling on a dirt road in in the troubled province's Dihrawud district, provincial police spokesman Farid Ail told AFP.
"There are 13 people dead: nine children and four women," he said. Two others were injured, he added.

Ail blamed the incident on "Taliban, the enemies of our people who plant bombs on our public roads to kill our innocent children and women."

The bombing comes a day after a similar incident killed eight civilians in the neighboring province of Helmand and while US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was holding talks in Kabul.