Mortar attack kills 5 members of Afghan family

At least five members of a family have been killed in a mortar attack carried out by suspected Taliban militants in the troubled eastern Afghanistan.

Sarhadi Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor in Laghman Province, said on Saturday that the attack took place in the province’s Aliangar district late Friday night.

“The mortar was fired by the enemies (Taliban) Friday night, killing four women and a man of the same family,” media outlets quoted Zwak as saying.

The official added that the deadly attack also wounded 11 other members of the family, mostly children.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital to receive treatment.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Defense Ministry said that a series of rocket attacks have taken the lives of at least a dozen soldiers in separate attacks over the past 24 hours across the war-ravaged country.

Sources say at least 100 Taliban militants were also killed during the ongoing security operations in various regions over the past hours.

The developments come as the Taliban militants have started their annual spring offensive against Afghan security forces and the US-led foreign troops across the war-torn country.

The Taliban militants have already stepped up violent attacks on foreign and government targets in recent weeks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently expressed concern about the country’s security issues as the so-called fighting season with the Taliban militants looms. Ghani predicted a difficult spring regarding the security of the country.

In this photograph taken January 23, 2010, Taliban militants are seen in Ghazni Province.(© AFP)
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains across the country.

The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.