A roadside bomb killed six policemen in western Afghanistan on Saturday, as they were patrolling on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eidul Fitr, officials said.
The bomb tore through a police vehicle in Herat, a relatively peaceful province, provincial police spokesman Abdul Rauf Ahmadi said. “A mine planted by the terrorists hit a police vehicle in Guzara district yesterday morning, leaving six policemen dead and three more wounded,” Ahmadi said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but roadside bombs have been the Taliban’s weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces.
The blast comes days after Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar issued a statement endorsing as “legitimate” a nascent negotiation with the Afghan government representatives aimed at ending the conflict.