Bomb strikes Afghan wedding party, 21 dead

At least 20 civilians headed to a wedding in southern Afghanistan died on Thursday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, officials said.

Women and children were among the casualties, said Helmand provincial police chief Assadullah Sherzad. At least five were also wounded in the bombing, which occurred in the Garmser district.

Sherzad said roadside bombs are often used by insurgents in the region to attack foreign and Afghan forces.

"It's the work of the enemy of the nation, it's the work of the enemy of peace and the work of the Taliban," Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai, commander of an Afghan military unit in the region, told Reuters.

The Afghani Ministry of Defence has confirmed the bomb and said at least 20 people died.

A UN report released last week indicates civilian deaths in Afghanistan have risen by 24 per cent during the first half of 2009 when compared to the same period last year.

The report indicated that at least 595 civilians were killed by Taliban — mostly by suicide attack and roadside bombs — in the first six months of 2009. The report also warned that those casualties will likely rise leading into the country's presidential elections.