Afghan Blast Kills 12 Policemen, One Child

An Afghan policeman watches as firefighters work at the site after a car bomb explosion in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, July 31, 2011. (Photo credit: Abdul Malik Watanyar / Reuters)

By Abdul Malik

Updated July 31, 2011

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan —  A suicide attacker killed 12 Afghan policemen and a child in the southern city of Lashkar Gah Sunday when he detonated a car bomb, the country’s Ministry of Interior said.

The attack in the heart of a city which was recently handed over to Afghan security forces was a reminder of the Taliban’s reach, even at a time of stepped-up pressure from U.S. and Afghan troops.

The explosion happened near the police chief’s compound in the provincial capital and appeared to target a joint Afghan police and army patrol. …

It comes after a string of destabilizing assassinations of high-profile southern leaders, including President Hamid Karzai’s younger brother, and just days after suicide attackers with guns killed 19 people, most of them children.

Afghan forces took over security responsibilities in Lashkar Gah this month, the most contentious of the first seven areas for which foreign troops handed over duties.

The gradual transition of security control to Afghan forces is due to be completed by the end of 2014. …

Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001, with high foreign troop deaths and record civilian casualties.

Full story

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Related reports on this site

Afghan security force members stand outside a USAID compound in Kunduz, Afghanistan, after it was attacked by militants on Friday, July 2, 2010. (Photo credit: The Associated Press)

Afghan Civilians Casualties At Record High (July 17, 2011)

Record Afghan War Dead (Sept. 6, 2010)

Afghan War Deadlier Than Ever (July 31, 2010)

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