At least five children were killed on Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded as they were on their way to school in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, officials said.
Another four were wounded in the incident that took place in Darqad district, provincial council members Mohammad Azam Afzali and Sayed Salahuddin Burhani said.
The Taliban maintains a strong presence in the district. However, the militant group did not immediately comment on the bombing.
The United Nations' Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented 8,239 civilian casualties in the first nine months of the year.
Suicide and non-suicide explosive devices have been described as the main causes of civilian casualties in the embattled country.