Seven dead in Afghan munitions explosion

A truckload of munitions exploded in northern Afghanistan yesterday, killing five Afghan civilians and two German soldiers from…

A truckload of munitions exploded in northern Afghanistan yesterday, killing five Afghan civilians and two German soldiers from the Nato-led peacekeeping force.

Officials said 15 Afghan civilians and a German peacekeeper were hurt in the explosion, which happened near an airfield in Takhar province on Saturday afternoon as the munitions were being loaded on to a truck for disposal.

A spokeswoman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force, said the cause of the incident was under investigation but was being treated as an accident.

Foreign peacekeeping troops have been assisting in disarming ammunition and weaponry held by the many factional militias throughout the country.