Explosive blast kills 5 children, car bomb kills 2 in Afghanistan

Five children were killed and two others injured as an explosive device left over from the past wars exploded in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province on Friday, reported Xinhua, quoting the state-run news agency Bakhtar.

The deadly blast happened at 09:00 a.m. local time in a camp area of Marja district when a group of children found a toy-like device and played with it. The device exploded and killed the five kids on the spot, injuring two others including a girl, the news agency reported.

Afghanistan has been among the most mine-contaminated countries where the unexploded ordnances left over from the past more than four decades of war often claim lives of or maim the people, many of whom are children.

Meanwhile, at least two people were killed and eight others wounded in a car bomb blast in Afghanistan's western province of Herat on Friday, a provincial public health official confirmed, reported Xinhua.

"Based on initial information, two were killed and eight wounded in the car bomb blast. The injured were admitted to a regional hospital in provincial capital Herat city...," Mirwais Jalali, physician-in-chief of Herat Regional Hospital, told Xinhua.

The wounded were receiving treatment in an intensive care unit, he said.

The incident occurred in Jebraheel locality of Herat city around Friday evening, a provincial security source told Xinhua earlier.

He said the Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration has vowed to crack down on the outlaws and criminals to ensure law and order in the Asian country.