A civilian was killed and 15 others, including 13 civilians and two police forces, were wounded in a blast in Lashkargah, the provincial capital of the southern Helmand province, security officials confirmed.
Mohammad Zaman Hamdard, the spokesperson for Helmand police, said that the incident took place today, Sunday, February 21, in PD1 of Lashkargah city.
He blamed the Taliban for the explosion.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
A surge in violence has intensified ever since the peace pact signed between the US and the Taliban.
Earlier yesterday, as many as five people were killed and two others wounded in triple blasts that rocked different parts of the capital. A roadside bomb that hit a car in Darulaman Road, PD6, wounded two people. In a separate incident, another roadside bomb blast targeted a car in the Karte Parwan neighborhood of PD4, killing three people. On the same day, a police Ranger vehicle was hit by a bomb in the Pul-e-Wahdat neighborhood of PD3.
Deadly violence continues to claim lives across the country.
The Afghan National Security Council says the US-Taliban peace deal has not helped to improve the security situation in Afghanistan.
Rahmatullah Andar, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said yesterday, February 21, the government wants an immediate end to violence.
The targeted violence continues while the talks in Doha have stalled.
On February 19, NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in a phone conversation with President Ghani, said, “We have not taken a final decision on our future presence, but as the 1 May deadline is approaching, we will continue to consult and coordinate together as an alliance.”
