RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
October 1, 2020
An Afghan official says at least nine people were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked a military checkpoint in the southern province of Helmand.
Four civilians, including two women, were among those who died in the late September 30 attack in the Nahri Sarah district, according to Omer Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
A child and three security personnel were also wounded.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban militants are in control of most of Helmand Province.
The suicide bombing comes as Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are meeting in Qatar to try to find a way to put an end to 19 years of war in the country.
Violence has continued across the country despite the peace talks in Doha, which kicked off on September 12, as the Taliban are refusing a nationwide cease-fire.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has documented more than 1,280 Afghan civilian deaths during the first half of 2020 — mainly as a result of fighting between Afghan government forces and Taliban militants.
With reporting by AP
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