Bomb hits Afghan bus, kills 9

A roadside bomb exploded under an Afghan bus southwest of Kabul yesterday, killing nine people and wounding at least 22 others in an attack blamed on Taliban militants, officials said.
The bus bombing in the flashpoint province of Wardak came as Afghanistan endures a bloody few days at a time of year that often sees a surge in violence as the cold winter recedes and the so-called "fighting season" begins.
A woman was among the dead and children among the wounded, officials said.
"Today at around 8:00 am an IED (improvised explosive device) hit a bus," Attaullah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman in Wardak province, told AFP.
"At least 22 people are wounded and nine others, including a woman, are dead."
Khogyani said the Taliban, who have been fighting for 11 years against the US-backed Kabul government, were behind the attack.
The bus was a government service making daily trips between the capital Kabul and Ghazni, the neighbouring province further to the southwest.