Fresh fighting kills 17 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber killed only himself but wounded six Afghan soldiers and a civilian in another attack in the southeast.

Afghanistan, particularly provinces near the Pakistani border, is under the grip of its deadliest spate of violence since US-led forces toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001 for harbouring Osama bin Laden.

In the mountains of southern Helmand province, a clash left 11 suspected Taliban and two policeman dead, said deputy provincial governor Amir Mohammed Akhunzanda.

One policeman was wounded in the attack while three militants were arrested, he said.

Insurgents killed four more police officers who were racing to help a local official ambushed by militants in the southeastern Ghazni province, said Abdul Ali Fakuri, spokesman for the provincial governor.

The militants stole one police vehicle and the weapons of the slain policemen during the clash in the Giro district, Fakuri said.

Other Afghan and US-led coalition forces rescued the district government chief, who was unharmed, Fakuri said.

In neighboring Paktika province, a suicide car bomber in a taxi targeted Afghan troops shopping in a bazaar, wounding six soldiers and one civilian, said Sayed Jamal, the provincial governor's spokesman. The bomber drove to within 40 yards of the soldiers in Barmal district before his vehicle exploded.