JALALABAD, Afghanistan, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Three children were killed in a landmine explosion in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, the provincial government said in a statement Monday.

The incident occurred in Shirullah Qala village of Haska Mina district on Sunday afternoon, the statement said, blaming the Islamic State (IS) militant group for planting the landmine on the dusty road.

The victims aged between 12 and 13, according to the statement.

Taliban militants and IS fighters have been using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

The mountainous province, 120 km east of Kabul, has been the scene of clashes between security forces and IS militants.