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At least one person was killed and four others were wounded in an explosion in Farah province located in western part of Afghanistan.The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the incident took place in Bala Bolok district in Mullah Khaliq’s residence.
According to a statement by MoD, the militants were busy making an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) when the explosives went off prematurely.
No further details were given regarding the incident and it is yet not clear if the Taliban commander was among those killed or wounded.
The Taliban insurgents frequently use Improvised Explosive Device as the weapon of their choice to target the security forces but in majority of such attacks the Afghan civilians are targeted.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released its latest civilian casualties report in mid-April this year, stating at least 600 civilians were killed and 1,343 others were wounded in the first quarter of 2016.
According to the UN mission, it documented 1,943 civilian casualties (600 deaths and 1,343 injured) in the period between 1 January and 31 March 2016, adding that these figures mark an overall increase in civilian casualties of two per cent compared to the same period in 2015 with a 13 per cent decrease in deaths but an 11 per cent increase in injuries.
UNAMA further added that consistent with 2015 trends, ground engagements caused the highest number of total civilian casualties, followed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), complex and suicide attacks, as well as targeted killings.