KABUL, Afghanistan — Militants ambushed a bus carrying Afghan construction workers in the country's volatile south Friday, killing 19, and Afghan and NATO forces said they killed 35 Taliban militants in two battles.
The attack on the bus in Kandahar province began when a roadside bomb exploded near the vehicle, and militants then opened fire on the workers, said Zemeri Bashary, Interior Ministry spokesman.
In addition to the 19 killed, three workers were wounded, Bashary said.
The attack, in Shorabak district, occurred in a remote area of southern Kandahar province bordering Pakistan.
In neighboring Oruzgan province, police killed 25 Taliban militants Thursday evening in a battle in Chorah district, provincial police chief Gen. Kasam Khan said. One policeman was killed and five were wounded, he said.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces and Afghan police also fought the Taliban in nearby Helmand province, killing 10 militants, NATO said.
