(AA) - Two separate attacks have killed 15 people in Afghanistan. Radical militant group Taliban is suspected of involvement.
In the western province of Herat, a group of armed men on Saturday night attacked a construction site with rocket propelled grenades and machine rifles, Herat Governor's Office and Afghan Ministry of Labor said. Nine workers and a police officer were killed in the attack.
The gunmen's target was a 52km Germany-funded road construction project, designed to connect Herat with neighboring Badghis.
No group has claimed the attack yet, while Taliban is known to target foreign-funded projects. The group even goes to designate Afghans working with foreigners as "traitors," threatening to kill them.
Another attack took place on Saturday in the province of Helmand, where a remote-controlled bomb installed on the side of a road detonated while a pick-up was passing by. A couple and their three children died. Security forces launched an operation in the area.
Afghanistan has recently seen a steep rise in the number of attacks carried out against civilians. A United Nations report says there is an increase of 23% in the first half of 2013 compared to last year.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
