Five people, all civilians, have been confirmed dead and 14 others injured after a bomb blast rocked Tajkirgan town in Balkh province with Mazar-e-Sharif as its capital, 305 km north of Kabul, on Thursday.

"Five innocent civilians were killed and 14 others injured after a bomb blast shocked Tajkirgan town at around 09:00 a.m. local time today," head of provincial council Mohammad Afzal Habib told Xinhua.

The obvious target of the attack was a member of parliament, Assaduallh Sharifi, the official said, adding that Sharifi escaped unhurt, but two of his bodyguards sustained injuries.

Earlier, deputy to provincial police chief Abdul Razaq Qadiri described the attack as suicide bombing which, according to him, claimed three lives and wounded 12 others.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the bloody blast.

Source : XINHUA