Roadside bomb kills six children in northern Afghanistan

A roadside bomb exploded in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh early Thursday, killing six children.

The children, all under the age of 10, were watching a herd of animals when one child stepped on the improvised explosive device that killed all six, an official said.

Thousands of improvised explosive devices are laid by the Taliban throughout Afghanistan to hamper the efforts of Afghan security forces and stop their movements.