Blast in W. Afghanistan kills 7 children

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 25 (UPI) -- A bomb detonated in Ghor province in western Afghanistan, killing seven children, a provincial government spokesman said.

Abdul Hai Khatibi said the children were with grazing animals Tuesday when one "stepped on a pressure-plate bomb leading to a powerful blast killing all of them on the spot," China's state-run Xinhua reported Wednesday.

Khatibi blamed Taliban militants for planting the bomb, saying security forces were the likely target.