Afghan blast kills at least 7 children-report
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-29 15:40

At least seven children were killed and several injured in an explosion near a school in the southern Afghan province of Paktia, the Afghan Islamic Press agency said Sunday.

Terry Hicks, the father of so-called 'Aussie Taliban' David Hicks, seen talking to reporters after his son's appearance before a US military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Terry Hicks said his son endured '10 hours of absolute hell' after his capture in Afghanistan in 2001. [AFP/File]

While the cause of Saturday's blast is still unknown, Taliban insurgents are fighting U.S.-led troops and the Afghan National Army in Paktia and its neighboring provinces along the border with Pakistan.

Lt. Col. Sue Meisner, of the U.S. military's press center in Kabul, said there were conflicting reports on the number of casualties.

An initial report issued by the U.S. military said 30 children and two adults were wounded, but Meisner said it now appeared some people were killed.

AIP said one report suggested it was caused by an explosive device on a motorcycle.

The U.S. military said two adults were evacuated to U.S. Salerno base in the neighboring province of Khost and were in stable condition.

Some 18,000 U.S.-led troops along with the newly formed Afghan National Army are hunting the insurgents.

The Taliban militia, vanquished by a U.S.-led uprising in late 2001, is waging a campaign of violence to disrupt Afghanistan's first presidential election on October 9.

Close to a thousand people, including militants, soldiers, civilians, aid workers and election officials have been killed in the past year.

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