A large explosion turned a minivan into an inferno, mangling eight people beyond recognition in an attack in the Helmand province today.

The powerful roadside bomb, was in the Marja district, where a major campaign is taking place to rid the area of poppy cultivation. The bomb is thought to have been one of many that have exploded recently in an attempt to thwart that mission.The drug trade emanating from the poppy fields is a major cash producer for the Taliban.

The blast happened about fifteen minutes by helicopter from Camp Bastion, where Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was meeting with local officials and troops before going to Kabul to meet with President Hamid Karzai.

This is the second major bomb attack in Helmand province in a week. Last week six British troops were killed in a detonation that is now the largest single incident of death for the British since their arrival in Afghanistan.

The Helmand bomb is only one of two explosions that occurred at about the same time today.

The other bomb blast came from an explosive device that was detonated on a motorcycle in Kandahar province. The detonation coincided with the passing by of a vehicle convoy carrying Afghan Intelligence Officers. One Security Officer was killed in the blast. Three others of the convoy was injured as was a civilian passer-by. Kandahar province was the location of the motorcycle attack on Afghan government officials visiting after the massacre that took place this weekend.

In a speech at the base, Panetta told the audience there that enemy initiated violence is trending down. He also spoke of recent incidences in the country, stating “We’ve had protests and violence. We’ve had the burning of the Quran. … We’ve had ISAF forces that have been … murdered,” Panetta said. “And last weekend we were shocked to learn about the tragic event … in nearby Kandahar province that resulted in the death of so many Afghan civilians.”

But, he said of the current conflict, and the common cause “to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven” from which terrorists can launch attacks against other nations.

Panetta’s trip is scheduled to last two days. From Bastion Base he continues on to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi in Kabul.