Roadside bomb kills 3 civilians in southern Afghanistan

KABUL – An Afghan official says a roadside bomb killed three civilians in the southern Kandahar province.

Gen. Tadeen Khan, the provincial police chief, says a small child was among those killed in Sunday’s blast, which he blamed on the Taliban.

The insurgents routinely plant explosives targeting Afghan security forces, but the bombs often end up killing or maiming civilians.

In the northern Balkh province, the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint late Saturday, killing six police. Adel Shah Adel, spokesman for the provincial police chief, says the insurgents targeted a force charged with guarding a gas pipeline. The Taliban claimed the attack.