Roadside bomb kills seven in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif

A roadside bomb killed seven petroleum company employees aboard a bus in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, a provincial police spokesman said.

"The bomb was placed in a cart by the roadside. It was detonated as the bus arrived," said Asif Waziri, of the Balkh police department in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Although the Taliban claim to have improved security across the nation since storming back to power in August last year, there have been scores of bomb blasts and attacks -- many claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group.