Police post commander killed in mine blast

GHAZICITY(PAN): A police checkpoint commander was killed and a foreign soldier injured while defusing planted mines in southern Ghazni province, an official said on Tuesday.

The Sulaimanzai police checkpoint commander, Mohammad Akbar, was killed when he along with others security personnel tried to defuse a mine planted along a roadside in the Da Yak district, the district police chief, Lt. Faiz Mohammad Topan, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

A foreign soldier was also wounded in the blast, a provincial council member said.

He said it was a remotely controlled blast that killed the police commander and injured the foreign solider. The mine was detonated when American troops arrived at the scene to defuse the Taliban-planted mines, the public representative said on condition of anonymity.

As usual, the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the blast. Rebel spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed three police, including their commander, and three US soldiers were killed in the attack.

The incident came a week after four policemen were killed in a roadside blast in the same district.

mrh/ma