Roadside bomb kills Afghan family

US troops overseeing reconstruction work in Zabul province, and on the look-out for Taliban, close to the Pakistan border

At least 11 members of a family have been killed by a roadside bomb in the southern Afghan province of Zabul.

The family, including women and children, were thought to be refugees returning home from Pakistan.

They were driving their van through Shamulzayi district when the blast occurred. They are thought to have been heading for Ghazni province.

Roadside bombs are a weapon commonly used by the Taliban in their war against western forces.

Earlier this week, 20 Afghan civilians were killed when the bus they were in hit a roadside bomb in Nimroz province in southwest Afghanistan.

Elsewhere about 500 demonstrators chanting “Death to the Pakistan military!” and “Long live Afghanistan!” protested in Kabul against rocket attacks along the border with Pakistan.

At least 36 civilians are estimated to have died in the attacks in recent weeks.

Pakistan has denied that it fired the rockets into Afghanistan.

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