Bomb kills 9 at market in northern Afghanistan
By Associated Press
May 14, 2012 2:33 AM CDT
An Afghan National Army soldier patrols the gate of the military hospital next to an ambulance in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 13, 2012. 2012. Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban official turned Afghan peace negotiator, was in his vehicle when he was killed by an unknown attacker in another vehicle...   (Associated Press)

Authorities say a bomb has exploded at a market in northern Afghanistan, killing nine people, including a local official.

The Ministry of Interior says the bomb went off on Monday morning inside a shop in a market in Faryab province's Ghormuch district. The ministry's statement says the nine dead included a council member from a neighboring province.

The ministry says it has no other details.

In a separate statement Monday, the ministry said police killed 18 insurgents in operations across the country over the past 24 hours.