Seven Afghan civilians were killed and three others were wounded as a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants tore through a van in the west of the country.

Seven Afghan civilians were killed and three others were wounded as a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants tore through a van in the west of the country.

The civilians were travelling to the town of Shindand in Herat province when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device often used in Taliban attacks on troops, said Mohidin Noori, a provincial government spokesman.

"It was the work of enemies of Afghanistan, the terrorists," Noori told AFP, referring to the Taliban militants.

He said women and children were among the casualties but had no details.
Police in Herat confirmed the incident, the second of its type in two days in the country.

On Monday a roadside bomb hit a tractor in southern Afghanistan, killing seven civilians and wounding four.