A massive explosion at a weapons dump near an airfield in northern Afghanistan killed five Afghans, while two German soldiers missing in the blast were presumed dead, officials said Sunday. The blast was believed to be an accident and occurred Saturday in northern Takhar province as some of the weapons were being moved before being destroyed, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said in a statement. Interior Ministry spokesman Latfullah Mashal said the five Afghans were working as porters carrying the arms to trucks. A sixth Afghan was also wounded and along with an injured German were to be flown to Germany for treatment, said Maj. Joseph Bowman, an ISAF spokesman. The Associated Press quoted Maj. Joseph Bowman as saying that the two missing Germans were presumed dead. A fourth German soldier was also wounded, but only lightly, according to a statement issued from the German division's headquarters at Schwielowsee outside of Berlin. Some 2,250 German soldiers serve in the ISAF force.
