KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) -- A Taliban suicide bomber has killed at least 21 police officers in southern Afghanistan, the provincial police chief said, one of the deadliest attacks on the force in recent months.
The bomber made his way into a police compound in Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan Province, and blew up explosives attached to his body, Uruzgan police chief Juma Gul Hemat told Reuters.
"Nineteen police have been killed and seven more wounded," he said.
He had no other details.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.
Separately, the Defence Ministry said Afghan troops arrested three would be suicide bombers in another part of Uruzgan, which like most of the volatile south is an area of high Taliban activity.
The United States is considering requests from commanders for up to around 25,000 more U.S. troops to be sent to Afghanistan, most of them to the south where mainly British, Canadian, and Dutch troops are struggling to contain the Taliban insurgency.
Dutch and Australian troops are stationed in Uruzgan.
The bomber made his way into a police compound in Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan Province, and blew up explosives attached to his body, Uruzgan police chief Juma Gul Hemat told Reuters.
"Nineteen police have been killed and seven more wounded," he said.
He had no other details.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.
Separately, the Defence Ministry said Afghan troops arrested three would be suicide bombers in another part of Uruzgan, which like most of the volatile south is an area of high Taliban activity.
The United States is considering requests from commanders for up to around 25,000 more U.S. troops to be sent to Afghanistan, most of them to the south where mainly British, Canadian, and Dutch troops are struggling to contain the Taliban insurgency.
Dutch and Australian troops are stationed in Uruzgan.
