13 civilians killed in Afghan attack

Kabul, Aug 12: At least 13 civilians were killed and three injured when two mortars struck a residential area in Faryab province, an official said on Saturday.

"Two mortar mines fired by militants on Friday night struck some houses in Tort Atai village in Dawlatabad district," Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

No one knows who fired the mortars, villagers said.

Dawlatabad Governor Abdul Salam Nazhat said an investigation was underway to determine who fired the mortars.

Faryab province, with Maimana as its capital, has been the scene of Taliban-led insurgency over the past decade.

The Taliban outfit is yet to make comments.