<p>A minibus ran over a bomb in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand province, with the blast killing all 18 passengers, said Kamaluddin Sherzai, the province's deputy police chief.<br /><br />"The mine was very powerful and destroyed the vehicle," he said. "They were all civilians. Some were children."<br /><br />Another civilian was killed and four were wounded when the farm tractor they were riding in struck a mine in Garmser district, Sherzai added.<br /><br />Police who responded to the minibus explosion came under fire from insurgents, but there were no casualties among the policemen.<br /><br />However, Sherzai said three Afghan policemen died in a fight with insurgents yesterday night in Helmand's Gereshk district.<br /><br />In its midyear report, the United Nations said the number of Afghan civilians killed in war-related violence rose by 15 percent in the first half of 2011.<br /><br />The report said 1,462 Afghan civilians lost their lives, including 444 killed by roadside bombs. During the first half of last year, 1,271 Afghan civilians were killed in the war.<br /><br />Violence has been on the rise as insurgents try to regain territory lost last fall and winter to the US-led coalition in southern Afghanistan.</p>
<p>A minibus ran over a bomb in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand province, with the blast killing all 18 passengers, said Kamaluddin Sherzai, the province's deputy police chief.<br /><br />"The mine was very powerful and destroyed the vehicle," he said. "They were all civilians. Some were children."<br /><br />Another civilian was killed and four were wounded when the farm tractor they were riding in struck a mine in Garmser district, Sherzai added.<br /><br />Police who responded to the minibus explosion came under fire from insurgents, but there were no casualties among the policemen.<br /><br />However, Sherzai said three Afghan policemen died in a fight with insurgents yesterday night in Helmand's Gereshk district.<br /><br />In its midyear report, the United Nations said the number of Afghan civilians killed in war-related violence rose by 15 percent in the first half of 2011.<br /><br />The report said 1,462 Afghan civilians lost their lives, including 444 killed by roadside bombs. During the first half of last year, 1,271 Afghan civilians were killed in the war.<br /><br />Violence has been on the rise as insurgents try to regain territory lost last fall and winter to the US-led coalition in southern Afghanistan.</p>