A roadside bomb and a landmine left over from a previous conflict went off in Afghanistan today killing eight people, including four Afghan soldiers, officials said.
The landmine blast happened south of the capital Kabul, killing four civilians travelling in a car, a police official said.
The soldiers were killed when an improvised device hit their vehicle hours later in the southeastern province of Paktia, a provincial spokesman said.
After nearly more than 30 years of war, Afghanistan is littered with about 100,000 mines that kill or wound around 60 people every month, the United Nations estimates.
Taliban insurgents fighting to overthrow the pro-Western Afghan government also continue to plant some mines, but prefer to use roadside and suicide bombs.
Violence has surged in Afghanistan this year with more clashes, roadside bombs, suicide attacks and casualties as compared to 2006 and Afghan analysts say next year is expected to be more violent.