At least journalists from Zabul province where wounded on Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside mine, officials confirmed.

Lal Jan Afghan, Qoudrat and Najib Pakhton from Rana Productions and Zabul Times, were wounded in the blast in Shahr-e Safa district.

The journalists had been covering a security forces operation in the Shahr-e-Safa district and where on their way to a local school when their vehicle hit the IED.

Security forces transferred them to the district hospital, officials said.

Two of the journalists are reportedly in a stable condition but the third one is critical.

According to Lal Jan Afghan, from Rana Productions and head of Zabul Times, said they had been travelling to a local school, along with security forces. He said two security force vehicles had been travelling in front of them. When their vehicle passed the IED it detonated, he said.  

Afghan said he thinks they had been the target as the two vehicles carrying security forces passed the roadside mine without any problems.   

Meanwhile Najib Pakhton, also from Zabul Times and Rana Productions, said that the two other vehicles had been travelling ahead of them and only when their vehicle passed the IED was it detonated.  

Abdul Samad Durani, Shahr-e-Safa district governor, and security forces in Zabul confirmed the incident and said they have taken the journalists to the district hospital.

This come after unknown gunmen shot dead a journalist, Yaqoub Sharafat, in Zabul about two months ago.

Sharafat had worked for Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) network.

Officials said that he was with his family at the time of the shooting.