An Afghan official has said fighters used a bomb and small arms to kill a representative of a government peace council entrusted with helping start talks with the Taliban. Omaer Zawak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, said the attack that killed Malim Shah Wali Khan on Wednesday also wounded the province’s deputy governor. A bodyguard also died and four others were wounded. He said the armed group first detonated a bomb next to Khan’s car and then attacked with assault rifles. A day earlier, at least 12 people, including three British soldier, were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand. Six British soldiers have now been killed this year in Afghanistan, where British casualties have slowed over the past year.
