Kandahar roadside bomb blast kills at least 10 civilians

A roadside bomb blast in southern Afghanistan killed at least 10 civilians, including women and children, officials say.

"The blast hit a pick-up truck in the Arghistan district of Kandahar province, killing four women, three men and three children," Kandahar Police Chief Abdul Raziq told AFP.

The victims, on their way to a funeral for two people recently killed in a similar attack, were struck by an improvised explosive device (IED), which injured at least 12 more.

"A motorbike earlier hit a roadside bomb that killed two people, and today's victims were travelling to attend that funeral when unfortunately their vehicle struck another bomb," Raziq said.

A spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor blamed Taliban insurgents for the attack.

"The bomb was planted by Taliban insurgents in a district that borders Pakistan, and civilians are often the victim of these bombs," Javed Faisal said. But according to the BBC, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last month, the Taliban announced its annual fighting season with a "spring offensive," saying they would attack foreign military and diplomatic targets.

NATO combat missions are set to end in 2014, and some 100,000 foreign troops still in Afghanistan have begun to withdraw, leaving inexperienced Afghan security forces to fight the relentless insurgency.