Seven children were killed and three others injured Monday in a bomb explosion in eastern Afghan province of Paktika, the provincial government said in a press release.

"Seven children died and three seriously wounded as one Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded on a main road in Khair Kot district at around 3:00 p.m. (local time) Monday. The innocent kids were playing when the blast took place," the press release said.

The victims were from the same family, it said, adding that the enemies of peace and stability, namely Taliban insurgents, were to blame for planting the IED.

Taliban frequently attacks Afghan and NATO-led forces with IEDs but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that more than 1,300 civilians were killed and over 2,500 others injured from January to June this year.

Out of the total casualties, 231 children were killed and 529 were wounded with IED explosions the leading cause of the fatalities.