Big blast at shop in Afghan capital, 6 killed

Kabul, Mar 14: A huge blast in an ammunition shop in the heartof the Afghan capital killed at least six people and wounded 10 today,officials said. A suicide attack killed several more in the country'ssoutheast.

Several shops in Kabul were levelled by the early morning blast.Bystanders tore at the rubble with their hands to haul out survivors.

''Two of my nephews were killed. We don't know what caused it butit was a loud and terrible explosion,'' a weeping Haji Qutubuddin saidat the scene. ''God knows better what was the cause.'' An InteriorMinistry spokesman said at least six people were killed and 10 hurt,and rescuers were still combing the site looking for more dead orinjured.

''The blast occurred in a shop selling gunpowder and otherammunition for hunting rifles,'' said Ali Shah Paktiawal, Kabul policecrime branch chief.

Residents had earlier said the blast was caused by a suicide attack on an Afghan army patrol.

In the southern province of Kandahar, the Taliban heartland, rebels killed at least one policeman in an attack on a patrol.

A suicide attack close to a police station also killed several people in the southeastern town of Khost, residents said.

The target apparently was a senior police officer in Khost, sceneof a series of Taliban attacks in recent weeks. The officer's fate wasunclear.

And in the northwestern province of Faryab, suspected Talibanmilitants riding motorcycles killed a district chief and woundedanother in a drive-by shooting.

One of the assailants was also killed when guards of the district chief returned the fire while other attackers fled.

The Taliban has vowed to step up suicide attacks across the country this year.

NATO has launched a major offensive against the Taliban in the south in what analysts say is a crunch year for both sides.

Three Taliban suicide bombers killed two people and wounded a dozen on Tuesday in separate attacks in southern Afghanistan.

A senior Taliban commander, Mullah Jamaluddin, was killed alongwith several of his followers in a ground and air strike in Helmandlast week, NATO said.

Reuters>