Afghan forces on offense; bomb kills kids

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KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Afghan police said the Taliban were likely behind an explosion in He-rat province this weekend that killed three children.

The blast occurred in the Gulran district Saturday night on a site where the three kids were playing, a provincial police spokesman told Khaama Press.

No one claimed responsibility for the explosion, including the Taliban; however, improvised explosive devices targeting security forces in the area are not uncommon, Khaama Press said Sunday.

The Taliban did issue a communiqueé Saturday denying government reports that 21 militant fighters had been killed in security operations over the weekend. The Afghan Interior Ministry said earlier the Taliban casualties occurred in four different provinces, including He-rat, which is located along the border with Iran.

The police operations occurred at the same time airstrikes reportedly killed two high-ranking al-Qaida operatives, Khaama Press said.

Afghan and coalition officials said Mufti Assad, the al-Qaida chief in Kunar province, died in an airstrike Friday in the Watahpur district. Another al-Qaida commander and explosives expert known as Yusuf was killed in another air raid in eastern Afghanistan.