Blast kills eight Afghan civilians

At least eight Afghan civilians, including four children, were killed in a blast as they tried to escape fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban, officials said Saturday. Some 22 others were injured in the explosion in the Bala Buluk district of Farah province Friday, the latest carnage as the resurgence of the Taliban brings rising insecurity.
"Their vehicle hit a roadside bomb as they were fleeing the scene of fighting," provincial spokesman Nasir Mehri told AFP. But Wakil Ahmad, a resident of the district, said the deaths were caused by an Afghan army air strike, during bombing of Taliban positions.