Bombings in southern Afghanistan kill two police, civilian

Bombings in southern Afghanistan kill two police, civilian Kabul - Two roadside bombings targeting Afghan police forces in Kandahar province killed two officers and a civilian while a suspected Taliban commander was arrested in another southern province, officials said Thursday.

Two police officers were killed Wednesday night when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Spin Boldak district, said Matiullah Khan Qateh, provincial police chief.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted at its website but said four border police forces were killed.

Another roadside bomb, which was remotely detonated Thursday in Kandahar city, the provincial capital, targeted a bus full of police trainers, Qateh said.

He said the bomb missed the bus but killed a civilian passer-by.

In another incident, police arrested a Taliban commander Wednesday in the Andar district of Ghazni province, said Ismail Jahangir, spokesman for the provincial governor.

He said Mullah Mohammad Anus Sharrif was a top commander for militants in the province and was responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the region.

More than 4,000 people, mostly insurgents, have been killed in the conflict in Afghanistan so far this year. (dpa)