Afghan official says female journalist shot dead in capital

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Unidentified gunmen shot and killed an adviser to the country's parliament in the capital Kabul on Saturday, an Afghan official said.

In eastern Ghazni province, at least seven children were killed when a roadside bomb exploded, according to a provincial official.

Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that Mena Mangal, a cultural adviser for the lower house of parliament and former TV presenter, was killed when she was on her way to work around 7:30 a.m.

Rahimi said one or more assailants escaped from the scene. Kabul police have launched an investigation.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Kabul police said it was not immediately clear whether the killing was a terror act or the result of a personal dispute. Both Islamic State group and Taliban militants regularly carry out attacks in the capital.

In eastern Ghazni province, at least seven children were killed when a roadside bomb exploded, said Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Noori said two other children were wounded in the blast that took place Saturday in Muqar district.

"All the children killed and wounded in the blast were between 5 and 14 years of age," he said.

No one claimed responsibility for the blast in Ghazni, but Noori blamed Taliban insurgents who are active in the province, especially in Muqar district.

Recently there has been an increase in security operations targeting the insurgent group in the district and Taliban fighters often plant roadside bombs to target the convoys of the security forces, he said