2 children killed in landmine blast in northern Afghanistan

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Two children were killed in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, an army source said Monday.

"The incident occurred Sunday afternoon after one of the innocent children touched off the mine in Khanabad area of Chahar Bolak district," Hanif Rezai, spokesman for army Corps 209 Shaheen based in the region, told Xinhua.

He blamed enemies of peace, referring to the Taliban militant group, for planting the mine.

Taliban militants have been using roadside bombs and landmines to target security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.