Two policemen were killed and three more were wounded after their vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb blast in Herat-Islam Qala highway on Wednesday morning, local officials said.
The incident happened while a delegation was on it’s to the customs office in the border town of Islam Qala in Herat province to investigate Saturday’s massive fire that damaged nearly 1,000 trucks, according to officials.
No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast.
The fire in the customs office broke out in the customs area on Saturday afternoon and was extinguished after 24 hours, according to the Finance Ministry.
Hundreds of investors and truck-owners gathered outside the Herat governor’s office, saying that corruption in the customs office is the cause of the fire.
The Chamber of Commerce and Investment has estimated the costs to investors and truck owners to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The chamber warned that Herat economy would face a recession if those affected are not supported.
Herat governor Sayed Waheed Qatali said dozens of goods trucks were “looted” during the incident but were recovered by security forces, adding that the fire happened due to negligence and corruption in the customs office.
Investors on Tuesday said hundreds of Afghan trucks have been stranded in Iran following the fire at Islam Qala customs. Islam Qala, on the border with Iran, is a major trade port in the country.
The trucks are those driven to Iran to avoid the fire and were left across the border due to the halted customs activities in Islam Qala.
Investors said the trucks carry fresh fruit, food and raw material for factories. Some trucks are carrying vegetables that will spoil.
