Suicide bomber on motorcycle kills 15 near market

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 15 people and wounded 38 near a busy marketplace in northwest Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials said.

No one claimed responsibility, but Taliban militants have regularly use suicide bombers to attack Afghan government and foreign troops in the area.

Five of the dead were Afghan security force personnel and the rest civilians, Faryab's acting governor, Satar Barez, said.

"Security forces were at their checkpoint in Almar's main market when the suicide bomber detonated his explosives," Barez said.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan this year and civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict.

More than 10,000 people were killed or wounded in 2014 alone, according to the United Nations.