At least seven people have been killed and 10 more injured in a bomb blast on a minibus in Herat city on Saturday, officials said.
A bomb ripped through a public minivan in western Herat city on Saturday, killing at least seven people, said Herat police commander spokesman Mahmoud Rasuli.
Initial reports indicate it was a sticky bomb attached to the fuel tank of the passenger vehicle.
At least seven people were killed and 10 others were injured in the blast. Among those killed were three women and five women were injured, three of whom are in critical condition. The cause of the blast was not clear.
Herat provincial police and the department of cul-ture also confirmed the bomb blast. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Security in Afghanistan has vastly improved since a 20-year-long armed battle by the Taliban ended with the group’s capture of the capital, Kabul, in August.
However, several attacks have been reported each week throughout the country, including some claimed by Islamic State in Khorasan Province, IS-K terrorist group.
Herat is the country’s third-biggest city, close to the border with Iran, but had remained relatively peace-ful in recent months.
In addition to security-related concerns, the Afghan economy remains dire as support for the country has dried up amid the Taliban takeover. The interna-tional community remains wary of the group with the United States imposing sanctions on some of its leaders.
The United Nations estimates nearly 23 million Afghans – about 55 percent of the population – are facing extreme levels of hunger, with nearly nine million at risk of famine as winter takes hold.
