Taliban slam children’s deaths in blast

KABUL on Tuesday denounced the killing of seven children in a bomb explosion in southeastern Paktika province.

At least five children were wounded in the landmine blast in the Malizi area of Khairkot district on Monday afternoon when the children playing in the locality stepped on the explosive device.

Mukhlis Afghan, the Paktika governor’s spokesman, blamed the blast as the handiwork of the Taliban. Mostly civilians, including children and women, were killed and wounded by roadside bombs, he said.

But Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, accused the Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel of leaving behind the explosive device at a post they vacated recently.

The children, who approached the post to retrieve metal and other stuff, were killed as the explosives went off, Mujahid said in a statement, lashing out at the authorities for releasing a false account of the incident to the media.

“One may take the lid off the enemy’s propaganda by simply inquiring of the locals in the vicinity about the incident…Similarly, the enemy called the incident a roadside bombing but residents are well aware of facts,” he added.

pr/mud

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