KANDAHAR: Angry residents in the southern Afghan province of Helmand on Thursday chopped off the ears of a man accused of planting a roadside bomb that killed two civilians, an official said.

Two teenagers were killed and six others, including three children, were wounded earlier Thursday when a blast tore through their vehicle in Garmser district, Helmand provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi told AFP.

“Following the incident the residents of the area arrested the alleged mine planter and wanted to hang him in public,” Ahmadi said.

Police and the local district governor were forced to intervene to save the man's life, but the furious residents had already cut off his ears, Ahmadi said.

“This is a warning for those who kill our people every day, we won't tolerate their actions any more,” a resident of the area, Mullah Mansoor, told AFP.