At least five boys died Thursday after a group of armed men shot them on a volleyball court in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.
"The young boys, who were school students, were playing volleyball in a village in Alingar district at 12:30 pm... a group of gunmen from the nearby village came and shot them," said Sarhdai Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor of Laghman, dpa reported.
"The shooters, who are surely members of the armed opposition, fled the area," Zwak said, implying the attack was by Taliban militants.
"It is not clear yet why they shot dead the boys, but it is clear that the enemies of Afghans cannot tolerate our sports achievements. So, they restore cowardly attacks."
Last week, four young footballers were killed in the southern province of Kandahar when a rocket, allegedly fired by Taliban militants, struck the football field.