Roadside bomb kills 17 after wedding in western Afghanistan

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A roadside bomb exploded under a van in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 17 people and wounding nine, mostly women and children returning from a wedding, a local official said on Friday.

The bombing took place mid afternoon in the relatively peaceful province of Farah and was detonated as a procession of vehicles following the bride and groom passed along a rural road.

"Most of the victims are women and children," said Abdul Rahman Zwandai, a spokesman for the local government. "The Taliban are responsible for this. They want to create fear by staging such attacks."

(Reporting by Sharafuddin Sharafyar; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Ron Popeski)