Five Afghan passengers were killed on Sunday in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan.

Five Afghan passengers were killed on Sunday in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan.

The bomb tore through a bus on a highway in the province of Ghazni, killing five civilians, including women and children.

There was no claim of responsibility but officials blamed the blast on the "enemies of Afghanistan", a standard phrase used to refer to the Taliban.

"The bus was travelling from Kabul to Kandahar. Along the road near Ghazni city it struck a roadside bomb. Five people were killed and 11 others were injured," provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid told AFP.

Baz Mohammad Hemat, a doctor in the local hospital, confirmed the casualties.