Suicide car bomb kills at least 12 Afghan police
28 Sep 2017 2:50 PM GMT
KABUL: At least 12 Afghan police were killed and four wounded when a Humvee packed with explosives drove into their checkpoint in the southern province of Kandahar late on Wednesday, a government official said.
Abdul Bari Baryalai, a spokesman for the provincial government, said the attack took place in Maruf district, bordering Pakistan.
The attack, in one of the Taliban's heartlands, underlines the threats faced by Afghan security forces, notably police units on the front lines of the battle against insurgents who control or contest about 40 percent of Afghanistan.
The incident came on the same day when Suicide bombers and militants fired mortars attacked Kabul's airport during a visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday, prompting a US air strike that accidentally killed civilians, officials said.
The clashes and casualties overshadowed a visit intended to demonstrate US support for the Afghan government and provided a sharp reminder of the risks associated with a more aggressive US policy that is expected to increase the number of air strikes.
Hours after Mattis touched down in Kabul, militants fired high explosive ammunitions.
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