Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: At least three civilians were killed in a motorbike bomb blast in Mehtarlam, the capital city of Laghman province on Saturday morning, local official said.
The bombing occurred near a prison in the city, provincial governor spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai said. “The target was Haji Noor Mohammad, the head of the prison,” Dawlatzai said, adding he and three others were wounded in the attack.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.
This is more than 500 civilians, including more than 150 children, were killed due to the fighting in Afghanistan during the first quarter of 2020, according to a United Nations report released, highlighting the urgent need for all parties to the conflict to do more to protect civilians from harm, especially in view of the looming threat posed to all Afghans by COVID-19.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a total of 1,293 civilian casualties (533 killed and 760 injured) in Afghanistan during the first three months of the year, underscoring the heavy toll the conflict continues to inflict on the civilian population.
The report tracks a disturbing increase in violence during March at a time when it was hoped that the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban would commence peace negotiations, as well as seek ways to defuse the conflict and prioritize efforts to protect all Afghans from the impact of COVID-19.
