Market blast kills 17 in Afghanistan 

AT least 17 civilians have been killed and 46 others injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded market in northern Afghanistan.

"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."

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.
The crowds in the area were larger than usual as people were shopping for the Afghan New Year, according to another official.
Faryab is a restive province bordering Turkmenistan in northern Afghanistan.
In November, six Afghans working for the French agency Acted were shot dead by Taliban militants in Pashtun Kot district.

source-www.news.com