Militants gun down seven civilians in Afghanistan

Kabul, July 12: At least seven civilians were killed by militants in Afghanistan's Farah province, an official said on Wednesday.

"The incident occurred in Bala Buluk district on Tuesday when militants intercepted a long-distance bus, singled out seven civilians and shot them dead before letting the vehicle with the remaining passengers go," Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

The bus was traveling from Farah to neighboring Herat province, according to the official. The reason for the bloody carnage is not yet clear. However, locals blame Taliban for the attack.

Tolo News in a report said the militants seized control of the road and set up checkpoints to intercept and check vehicles running along the road.

More than 10 Taliban militants were killed and seven wounded after Afghan security forces arrived at the area and engaged with the militants, the report said.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since late April when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country.

Observers believe the group would intensify activities to gain more territory ahead of winter and snowfall in the mountainous country.