At least ten Afghan policemen and one child were killed Sunday by a suicide car bombing in front of the police chief’s office in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, local officials said.
The attack came days after control of security in the city passed from foreign to Afghan forces in the first wave of the transition process which will see all international troops leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
Some experts question the ability of Afghan troops and police to protect their country against attacks from the Taliban and other insurgents.
“The toll has risen to 11 killed and nine wounded. Among the killed, there is one child and 10 others are policemen. Wounded are seven policemen and two civilians,” said Daud Ahmadi, provincial spokesman of Helmand.
The blast happened in front of the heavily-secured office of the police chief as a police vehicle entered the compound, he added.
“The wounded are being treated and we’ve made calls to families of the deceased to collect the bodies,” a doctor said.
The Taliban published a statement on their website claiming responsibility for the attack.
Eleven dead in Afghan suicide blast
