Six Afghan policemen killed in suicide bombing

Kabul, May 2 (IANS) At least six policemen were killed and several civilians wounded in suicide bombing in Afghanistan, authorities said.

The bombing took place Thursday evening in the eastern Afghan province of Panjshir, Xinhua quoted the country's interior ministry as saying.

The ministry statement said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden sedan at a security checkpoint leaving six police officers dead and injuring several civilians.

Government troops cordoned off the area shortly after the blast.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Unofficial sources said that 12 people were killed and more than 20 others were wounded in the attack in the province, 200 km north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

The Taliban, who ruled the country before they were ousted by a US-led invasion in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, staging ambush and suicide attacks, killing combatants as well as civilians.

More than 2,900 civilians were killed and nearly 5,700 were wounded in conflicts and Taliban-led attacks in the war-torn country last year, according to official figures.