Helmand: As many as 14 people, all women and children, were killed after a vehicle in which they were proceeding in for a wedding, remained stranded after an airstrike in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.

It is also said that eight other people have suffered severe injuries in the incident.

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Last week, at least 30 people were killed, and 45 others suffered injuries in a raid conducted by the Afghan security forces, backed by US air support, in eastern Afghanistan.

In recent times, civilian casualties have increased owing to Taliban suicide bombings, and Afghan forces strike at terrorist hideouts.

The strike has come at a time when the Taliban has escalated its offensive in the war-torn nation following the collapse of the US-Taliban peace talks.

The airstrike also came as elections in Afghanistan are scheduled for later this month as President Ashraf Ghani is seeking his second term.

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Taliban has warned its fighters to intensify their campaign against the Afghan government and foreign forces to dissuade people from voting in the September 28 election.

Also, the Taliban, on September 5 was blamed for a car bomb attack that targeted the office of National Directorate of Security (NDS) located in the centre of the Afghan capital.

The group claimed to have targeted foreign forces' convoy that was entering an NDS facility in the Shash Darak area.