KABUL, Afghanistan -- 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.
Earlier on HuffPost:
Suicide bomber - Standard-Examiner - Top of Utah News & Multimedia
Afghan defence ministry denies bomb plot | Reuters
Afghanistan foils 'bomb plot' | Video | Reuters.com
Bomb kills 9 at market in northern Afghanistan
Bomb kills 9 at market in northern Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, Warily Watching the US and Fearing Abandonment
05/14/12 03:33 AM ET