At least five leaders of the Taliban group were wounded in a premature bomb explosion in eastern Nuristan province of Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the incident took place in the vicinity of Duab district after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off prematurely.

MoD further added that the wounded Taliban leaders have been identified as Qari Mohammad Hanif, Salahuddin, Juma, Mohammad Shah, and Dad Mohammad.

According to MoD, the Taliban leaders have sustained serious injuries in the explosion.

The Taliban militants group has not commented regarding the report so far.

Taliban militants and insurgents belonging to other militant groups are frequently using Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as the weapon of their choice to target the security forces and government officials.

However, in majority of such attacks, the ordinary civilians are targeted as the anti-government armed militants are accused of incurring the most casualties to the civilians.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said late in October that the mission has documented 8,397 conflict-related civilian casualties (2,562 deaths and 5,835 injured) between 1 January and 30 September, representing a one per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2015.

Ground engagements remained the leading cause of civiliancasualties, followed by suicide and complex attacks, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

UNAMA further added that the anti-Government Elements caused 61 per cent of civilian casualties – 1,569 civilian deaths and 3,574 injured (5,143 total civilian casualties).