KABUL, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Five people including a staff of thejoint UN-Afghan election commission were killed after their vehicle hit a mine in the troubled southeast Paktika province Monday, the commission's spokesman said.

    "Unfortunately, a JEMB (Joint Electoral Management Body) vehicle hit a mine at Yahya Khil district this morning at 8:00 am leaving five dead including an election worker," Sultan Mohammad Bahin told journalists here.

    He declined to disclose the identity of the victim and it was an attack or accident, but he added other victims include the driver and three locals.

    However, Bahin described the incident site as the heavily minedarea in the region saying "We do not know the exact reason behindthe incident".

    It was the first casualty of the JEMB in the post-election Afghanistan while the body had lost 12 of its staff including three women since the beginning of the election process in last December.

    The first-ever Afghan presidential poll was held amid Taliban's threat and tight security on October 9 with almost no major security incidents.

    Remnants of the former fundamentalists who failed to act on their threat and derail the US-style election have vowed to continue Jihad or holy war until the US-led foreign troops leave Afghanistan. Since holding the election several rockets have been fired by suspected Taliban targeting cities including the war-weary capital leaving at least few casualties while dozens of armsand ammunition had been recovered from other parts of the country. Enditem