Kabul, October 9 (RHC)-- At least five people have been killed and nearly 20 others injured in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, an official says.

The provincial security chief, Haji Wais Amiri, said the blast went off near the residence of Nawzad district’s former police chief, adding, that the attack left 19 others injured. Reports say the majority of the victims were civilians, while a number of those killed or injured were police officers.

According to the security chief, a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) was used in the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet, but Taliban militants are frequently blamed for such attacks in the country.

The recent violence comes days after Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was sworn in as Afghanistan’s new president, replacing Hamid Karzai. Meanwhile, shortly after Afghanistan and the United States struck a security deal last week, three people lost their lives in a similar bomb attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Kabul and Washington signed the controversial Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) for the presence of the U.S. soldiers in the country beyond 2014. The deal grants immunity to U.S.-led troops operating in the country. It also allows the U.S.-led forces to carry out deadly night-time raids on Afghan homes, which have triggered widespread protests in Afghanistan.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains in the country, despite the presence of foreign troops.