11 killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

A roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan has left 11 people dead, including three children, The Associated Press reported on Sunday.

Badghis provincial Gov. Hesamuddin Shams told the AP that a minivan fell into a valley after the explosion on Saturday. He added that rescuers are searching for the bodies of those killed. 

A Kabul police spokesperson also said that a separate roadside bomb in the eastern part of the city left three people wounded on Sunday. 

No one has taken responsibility for the explosions.

Bombs and landmines are scattered across large parts of Afghanistan, planted by insurgents and intended for government and military convoys.

But they often main and kill civilians instead.

According to the AP, the United Nations told both sides to take more precautions with the safety of civilians. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan says 1,783 civilians had been killed or wounded during the first three months of 2021, a 29 percent increase from last year, the AP reported. 

Negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban began last September. U.S envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and other top officials headed to the region to engage in a series of talks between both sides and reach an agreement on the future of the country. 

The Taliban announced in April that they will not take any part of the talks until all U.S. forces leave the country, according to the AP. 

The following day, President Biden announced that all U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by Sep. 11th.