Mine Blast Kills 7, Wounds 3 Employees of a Security Company

At least 7 personnel of a private security company were killed Saturday afternoon and 3 others were wounded in a road-side mine blast in Central Afghanistan

"The incident happened in Salar area of Maidan Wardak province on Saturday afternoon when a convoy of a private security company was passing by," the Provincial Police Chief of the province, Nawab Khatyar, told TOLOnews reporter.

No groups, including the Taliban have taken responsibility for the attack so far.

Road-side mines are planted by insurgents to target Afghan and coalition forces, in which most victims are civilians.

Private security companies are responsible for the transportation of the foreign forces' cargoes in return for money.

These companies have raised concerns among government authorities, as Afghan president, Hamid Karzai said recently that private security companies pose security threats for Afghanistan and ordered a ban on these companies.

"The Ministry will soon start the termination of these companies," a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Zimarai Bashari told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview on Saturday.

There are also reports that most of the collaborators of these companies are high-ranking government authorities or their relatives.

Mr Bashari added that the ministry will apply the president's decree on all private security companies.

The Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) said 54 Afghan and foreign private security companies have received activity licence from AISA.