Afghan National Police officers waiting for new recruits at the Police registration office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. International observers worry that the Afghan police will not be able to maintain security after NATO and US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Suicide attack hits southern Afghanistan

the associated press

First Published Oct 13 2012 01:43 pm • Last Updated Oct 13 2012 01:44 pm

Kabul, Afghanistan • At least eight people were killed Saturday in attacks in southern Afghanistan, including one incident where a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up at a local intelligence office, officials said.

Six people — four Afghan intelligence officers, a coalition service member and a civilian employee working for the coalition — died in the suicide attack in the Maruf district of Kandahar province.

Insurgents frequently target Afghan security forces and government officials in an effort to weaken the government.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, with spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi saying in a text message to reporters that the group was targeting international forces operating in Afghanistan.

Kandahar provincial spokesman Ahmad Jawed Faisal said the blast occurred in the morning at an entry point to the intelligence office. He said three other Afghan intelligence officers were wounded, including two who were in critical condition.

Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the international coalition, confirmed that one coalition service member and a civilian working with the coalition died in the attack. The wounded were evacuated to coalition medical facilities for treatment, he added.

A second attack killed two Afghan policemen and left three others wounded in Qalat, the capital of neighboring Zabul province, provincial spokesman Shariullah Nasari said. After a police vehicle ran over a roadside mine, he said, a second blast struck police who had rushed to aid their colleagues.

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

About Reader Comments

---

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account.
See more about comments here.