Up to eight Afghan policemen were killed and six others wounded overnight when a bomb went off in Kandahar city, capital of Kandahar province, said a provincial government spokesman on Sunday.
“Eight service members with the Afghan National Police (ANP) were killed and six policemen were wounded when their unit was hit by a roadside planted bomb in police district 5 of Kandahar city at around 11:30 p.m. local time Saturday,” spokesman Jawid Faisal said.
He said the blast took place shortly after the ANP was running to the police station from a scene where they defused a bomb and detained three suspects.
Two detained men were also killed in the blast in the city 450 km south of Kabul, he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but the Taliban is suspected of carrying out such attack.
The Taliban insurgent group, who ruled the country before they were ousted by a U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, staging ambush and suicide attacks, killing combatants as well as civilians.
In another development, 10 policemen including two police officers were killed and 18 others wounded when the Taliban launched a suicide bombing in northern Kunduz province Saturday evening.