Death toll of passengers on a civilian bus struck by roadside bomb in Taliban stronghold Kandahar in south Afghanistan Tuesday has soared to 30 including children, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

"In the tragic incident occurred in Maiwand district this morning, 30 innocent civilians including 10 children, seven women and 13 men have been killed and 39 others sustained injuries," the statement said.

It also blamed the enemies of Afghanistan a term used against Taliban militants for planting the mine on the highway and adding the bus was heading from Herat to the capital city Kabul when met the tragic incident.

Early report from Kandahar put the number of casualties 12 dead and 15 injured, all innocent civilians.

Taliban militants who have resorted to the deadly suicide attacks and roadside bombings have not made any comment.

Interior Ministry in the statement also added that insurgents by planting a mine on a road in the same district a day earlier on Monday also killed and injured five civilians.

A fresh UN report has described 2009 as the deadliest year in terms of civilian casualties in Afghanistan ever since the commencement of U.S.-led war against Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country.

Over 1,500 civilians, according to the report, have been killed in attacks by both the Taliban insurgents and the Afghan and the international forces up to August.