At least 17 civilians were killed Tuesday and 46 others injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up in northern Afghanistan, said a provincial official. "A pregnant woman and two children are also among the dead," said Abdul Sattar Barez, deputy governor for Faryab province. "The bomber driving an explosive-filled auto rickshaw and wearing an explosive vest blew himself up in the crowded Maisara area in Maimana city," Barez told dpa. Most of the victims were shopkeepers and other vendors, he said, adding: "The blast was so strong that the bodies were torn to pieces." The wounded were taken to nearby medical facilities and also to Mazar-e-Sharif, provincial capital for Balkh.
