6 civilians dead in Helmand bombings

KABUL): Six civilians were killed and nearly a dozen others, including two policemen, injured in two separate explosions in southern Helmand province on Tuesday, an official said.

Police official Col. Mohammad Ismail Hotak said the first blast at a fair resulted from explosives rigged to a motorbike, killing three people and wounding 10 others. The injured were evacuated to a nearby hospital.

The explosion took place in a livestock market in Safa area at 8:30am, district chief, Ayub Omar, told Pajhwok Afghan News.  Exact casualty figures were yet to be ascertained, he added.

Elsewhere in the province, three people were killed and a fourth wounded when the vehicle they were travelling in struck a roadside bombing in the Sistani area of Marja district.

Col. Hotak blamed the Taliban for planting the explosive device that went off at 7am. However, there was no immediate comment from the rebel movement.

On Monday evening, three Georgian soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force were killed when insurgents attacked their position in Musa Qala with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

"We can confirm three Georgian service members from ISAF-led force said in response to an emailed query from Pajhwok Afghan News.

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