KABUL: Five village elders were killed in northern Afghanistan when insurgents attacked their vehicle, coalition forces said.The men were travelling through Faryab province Wednesday which borders Turkmenistan when their vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade, a statement from the forces said.

Four other elders were wounded in the attack.

While Taliban influence in the north and west is not as pervasive as in the movement's southern heartland, the insurgency has been slowly expanding its presence in areas such as Kunduz, Faryab and Baghlan since 2007, mostly among Pashtuns who are a minority in northern parts of the country.