News - Afghanistan

At least ten Afghan civilians were wounded in a missile attack in eastern Ghazni province on Wednesday evening, local officials said.

The incident happened when a missile landed in Muqor district of the province, provincial police chief Zorawar Zahid said.

He said that police have started investigation about the incident.

No group, including the Taliban has claimed responsibility, for the incident.

It is not yet clear if this was an isolated incident or related to the violence between Ghazni residents and insurgents after people began driving out militants from their villages some weeks ago.

In recent weeks, dozens of Afghan villagers in Ghazni raised up against the Taliban insurgents in their local areas to drive them out after the militants threatened schools in the province.

Residents of Ghazni took up arms against the Taliban insurgents to reopen schools, clinics and resume other social activities which were being blocked by the insurgents.

The action grew after six students started protesting against the Taliban and now scores more residents have joined.

Engineer Lotfullah Kamran, one of the leader of the uprising said: "In the past ten years, our people schools, clinics, and markets have been threatened and the government has not taken care of the people. We started the uprising with six people."

He said that they have driven the Taliban from 12 villages and more than 121 insurgents have been killed.

Five villagers have also died in the fighting, Kamran said.