**At least 11 civilians, including five children, have been killed in a blast in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, officials say.**The blast reportedly hit a vehicle travelling towards a shrine in the Spin Boldak district of the province.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Kandahar is regarded as the Taliban’s spiritual homeland.
Thousands of US and UK forces are engaged in an offensive against the Taliban in the south of the country.
Police said that three women were also wounded and taken to hospital.
Senior police official General Saifullah Hakim blamed the attack on Taliban militants.
Afghanistan has seen rising levels of violence in recent months as insurgents have vowed to counter the surge in foreign forces.
The spike in violence comes ahead of key presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August.