7 killed by suicide bomber targeting Afghan local police commander

KABUL: An Afghan official says a suicide bomber targeting a village police commander blew himself up in a bazaar in a lawless part of eastern Afghanistan, killing seven people.

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy provincial governor of Ghazni province, said Saturday that the attacker on a motorcycle killed Local Police commander Dawlat Khan, three of his men, and three civilians.

He says it took place late Friday in Ghazni's Qarabagh district.

The Afghan Local Police are a village level force designed to be a first line of defense against the Taliban. They are often targeted by insurgents who see them as a direct threat to their ability to operate.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks since foreign troops last month handed security control for the whole country to the Afghans.