CHAGHCHARAN, Afghanistan, July 25 (UPI) -- Fifteen bus travelers in Afghanistan were killed Friday by suspected Taliban gunmen who stopped their convoy in Ghor province and shot them to death.
The province in central Afghanistan is regarded as stable and loyal to the Afghan government, but the attackers detained two minibuses, and ordered the passengers -- including three women and a child -- to leave the buses. The attackers then began shooting, according to the provincial police chief. One person aboard the bus escaped.
The victims were members of the Hazara group of Shiite Muslims, who make up about 20 percent of Afghanistan's population and have been Taliban targets in the past.
The attacks came as many Afghans were traveling, prior to the festival of Eid al-Fitr, the fast-breaking final day of Ramadan.
