Last updated (GMT/UTC): 06.08.2009 07:59
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) -- A roadside bomb has struck a truck carrying people in southern Afghanistan, killing 21 civilians and wounding six, an Afghan general said.
General Sher Mohammad Zazai, commander of an Afghan military unit in Helmand Province, said the explosion took place in Garmsir, a district of the province that has seen fighting between U.S. Marines and Taliban militants.
"It's the work of the enemy of the nation, it's the work of the enemy of peace and the work of the Taliban," Zazai said.
Defense Ministry spokesman Zaher Azimy confirmed the incident and the death toll. U.S. Marines in the area could not immediately be reached.
Homemade bombs have been by far the deadliest weapon used by militants in Afghanistan.