3 policemen, 4 civilians killed in S. Afghan blast

Seven people, including a senior police official, were killed Sunday evening in a bomb attack in southern Afghan province of Zabul, the latest in a series of targeted killing in the country, an official said.

"An Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander named Mujahid Khan, two ALP cops and four civilians were killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated in Qala Khil area of Shahjoy district at around 5:00 p.m. local time Sunday," deputy provincial governor Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar told Xinhua.

He said 10 civilians were also wounded in the bombing in the province 340 km south of Kabul.

The ALP, or community police, was established in 2010 to protect villages and districts in the country where army and police have limited presence.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban was suspected of carrying out such attack.

The armed outfit which launched an annual rebel offensive in April has said anyone working for government and the NATO-led troops are its legitimate target.

Up to 698 people were killed and 379 were wounded in targeted killings across the country in 2012, officials said.