Over 30 killed in 24 hours in Afghanistan

In the latest wave of violent incidents, a roadside bomb struck a mini-bus in Uruzgan province on Saturday morning, killing three people and wounding four others, all civilians, the provincial government confirmed in a statement. 

Similarly, an explosives-laden car was detonated in Herat city on Friday night, which left eight dead including one policeman, and injured 54 others. 

Three more civilians including women and children were killed as a mortar fired by insurgents struck a residential area in Nurak village outside Zabul provincial capital Qalat on Friday, police said. 

Neither the Taliban nor the Islamic State terror group have claimed responsibility. 

Increase in fighting is taking place amid accelerated peace efforts to end the war in Afghanistan and bring about peace in the country. 

Russia, according to local media reports, is going to hold peace conference on Afghanistan on March 18 with the participation of Afghanistan's neighbouring states as well as other countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, the US and India. 

Turkey is also arranging a US proposed conference on Afghanistan peace process in April to help find a political solution to the war-torn country's lingering crisis. 

"The Taliban group would continue to increase insurgency in a bid to get more ground and speak from strong position in any possible talks with the Afghan government," observer Khan Mohammad Daneshjo told Xinhua.