At least five civilians died and seven more were injured in two land mine blasts in Afghanistan.

Axar.az reports, officials said on Friday that A car hit a land mine on the main highway in the restive southern Helmand province a little before noon, killing all five passengers, according to Umer Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor.

He accused the Taliban of planting mines on roads to target security forces.

The insurgents, who have previously rejected such charges, are yet to comment on the incident.

In the western Herat province, which borders Iran, seven women were hurt when a passenger bus struck a land mine in the Kashk-e-Kohna district.

Three of the wounded were in a critical state, according to provincial administration officials, who also blamed the Taliban for the incident.