Armed men attack bus, 13 passengers killed

No fewer than 13 people, including one woman, have been killed following a bus attack by armed men in Afghanistan.

According to Al Jazeera, the deceased were travelling on a bus towards southern Afghanistan when the attack happened in Wardak province, which lies close to the capital Kabul.

Ataullah Khogyani, spokesperson for the provincial governor, said a group of armed men opened fire on the bus in Wardak around 1am local time (2030 GMT) even as Mohammad Ali, the deputy governor of neighbouring Ghazni province confirmed the incident saying the attackers picked their victims and shot them one by one.

Officials said the motive for the attack was still under investigation.

The incident is the latest of several attacks which have highlighted the fragile security state of Afghanistan.

In the meantime, President Ashraf Ghani is currently holding talks in Washington with President Barack Obama, asking the US for "flexibility" as it pulls out its remaining 10,000 troops by the end of 2016.