A roadside bomb killed 11 people on their way to a wedding in the northern Afghan province of Faryab, government officials said on Friday, as civilian casualties rise in the war-torn country.
“Eleven civilians were killed and 12 others wounded when they struck a roadside bomb in Kosa Qala village in Faryab province,” provincial spokesman Ahmad Jawed Bedar told AFP, adding that the victims were heading to a wedding.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the Faryab blast, which also killed women and children, but officials blamed Taliban militants.
The blast occurred on Thursday just as 30 Afghan civilians were killed in Nato air strikes in the neighbouring province of Kunduz, a hotbed of Taliban insurgency.
Roadside bombs are the favourite weapon of the militant groups fighting to oust the Western-backed Kabul government.
Insurgents frequently target Afghan police and military, but the surge in attacks has also taken a heavy toll on civilians.
The UN recently cited a 42 per cent rise in casualties caused by pro-government forces this year compared to 2015.