NATO Says Roadside Bomb Kills 3 Afghan Civilians

Civilians look on as a mortar explodes outside a military base. Civilian casualties have soared in Afghanistan this year.

NATO reports that a roadside bomb killed three Afghan civilians in a vehicle in Ghazni Province's Waghaz district.

Three people also were wounded in the explosion on August 10.

The United Nations says the number of Afghan civilians killed or injured by the war soared 31 percent during the first six months of the year, with Taliban bombings and assassinations largely responsible for the sharp rise.

The UN report found the number of deaths and injuries caused by NATO and Afghan government troops dropped 30 percent compared to the first half of 2009.

compiled from agency reports