LOC16:22
13:22 GMT
ISLAMABAD, July 8 (KUNA) - At least four policemen, including a district police chief, were killed in two separate attacks by Taliban rebels in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar and central Ghazni province, said officials on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for provincial governor of Kandahar, Bashir Ahmad told media that at least three policemen were killed and 14 others were wounded in a suicide attack on police Headquarter in Kandahar.
The incident happened in Shah Wali Kot district, as a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near the police HQ. "The suicide bomber was shot before he reached his target but his explosives detonated," he added.
Three policemen were killed in the attack and 14 others, including civilians, were wounded, he said. No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack but police has accused Taliban for the incident.
Meanwhile, the district chief of Deh Yak district in Ghazni province, Habibullah was killed in a roadside mine blast. The incident occurred as Habibullah was on the way to support security forces in a fight with the Taliban in the district and his vehicle struck a roadside mine, said the office of the provincial governor in a statement.
The Taliban have attacked several security checkpoints in the district and clashed with security forces, it added.
Last month, at least 23 civilians were killed in rockets attack on a festival and six civilians were killed in a roadside blast separately in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province.
The attacks came weeks after the United States peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad traveled to Doha, Islamabad, and Tashkent to discuss the intra-Afghan talks.
The visit focused on initiating intra Afghan dialogue in wake of the peace deal signed between US and Afghan Taliban on February 29th in Doha, Qatar. The peace deal focused on US troops withdrawal and reduction in violence in Afghanistan that led to the recent prisoners' exchange between Taliban and Afghan government. (end)
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