Afghan Bomb Kills Wedding Goers On Tractor

The HELLMUND province seems to be real Hell, I didnt have any idea of the place until I found it in a few articles a couple of months ago. It seems to be a hotbed. SKY

8:30am UK, Thursday August 06, 2009

A roadside bomb has killed at least 20 people riding a tractor to a wedding in southern Afghanistan, police have said.

Helmand provincial police chief Assadullah Sherzad said women and children were among the 21 dead and five wounded in Garmser district.

Roadside bombs are frequently used to attack foreign and Afghan forces in the region.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence said that the bombing on Wednesday killed at least 20 people.

Taliban fighters

Thousands of US Marines and British soldiers are pushing into Helmand, one of the centres of the Taliban insurgency.

The foreign forces are trying to extend Afghan government control and ensure stability ahead of the August 20 presidential elections.

The insurgents, who pledge to disrupt the vote, have markedly ramped up attacks and increased their use of roadside bombs this year.

The United Nations says civilian deaths in the escalating war soared by 24% during the first half of 2009, compared with the same period last year.

The UN blamed most of the casualties on Taliban attacks launched with little regard for civilian lives.

UK forces in Afghanistan

The UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan also pointed to stepped-up military operations by the United States and its allies, especially airstrikes.

But the report said the number of civilians killed by the Taliban and other "anti-government forces" during the first half of the year was double those attributed to the US-led coalition and Afghan government forces.

The UN called that a "significant shift" from 2007, when the coalition was responsible for 41% of civilian deaths.

July was the bloodiest month for the US and Nato in the nearly eight-year war.