Afghan bomb kills bus passengers

A roadside bomb has hit a bus in Afghanistan, killing eight passengers and wounding another, officials say.

The vehicle was on its way to Nimroz province, Younus Rasuli, deputy governor of Farah province, said.

The western provinces which border Iran are frequently attacked. Although militants mostly target military convoys, civilians are often killed.

There has been no indication so far of who was responsible - similar attacks have been blamed on the Taleban.

Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence, with the Taleban fighting the government of President Hamid Karzai and the tens of thousands of foreign troops deployed there.

Nimroz province, which borders Iran, is one of the few Afghan provinces which does not have a permanent presence of international troops and it has seen an increase in violence over the past few months.

It is thought the Taleban influence has been growing as fighters have moved across the border in Helmand, where they have increasingly been coming under pressure from international forces, says the BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul.