Car bomb kills 7 Afghans in Taliban ex-stronghold

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A car bomb struck Taliban former stronghold Kandahar, 450 km south of Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, killing seven people and injuring 19 others, provincial administration said in a statement sent to media.

"A car bomb carried out by the enemies and hit Kandahar city at noon time today claimed the lives of seven people including two civilians and five policemen," the statement said.

Nineteen more people including six policemen and 13 civilians were injured in the blast, it added.

A child is also among those killed in the blast, the statement said, adding two women and three children are among the injured.

The statement blamed the attack on enemies of peace, a term used by Afghan officials for Taliban militants. However, the outfits fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan have yet to make comment.

Meanwhile, talking to journalists, governor of Kandahar province Tooryali Weesa strongly condemned the attack, calling it "coward, un-Islamic and inhuman."

Kandahar, the birthplace and the former stronghold of Taliban militants, has been the scene of increasing violent incidents over the past few years.