Six Afghan police killed in roadside blast-officials

ASADABAD, Afghanistan, May 27 (Reuters) A roadside bomb killed six Afghan police officers in southeastern Afghanistan today while another exploded near a convoy of foreign troops in eastern Kunar province, witnesses and officials said.

The Taliban, which has stepped up attacks in recent weeks following a traditional winter lull in fighting, claimed responsibility for both blasts.

Officials in Paktika province said an improvised explosive device killed six officers. No further details were available.

Witnesses in Kunar province said some soldiers were wounded in the roadside explosion in the Manogai district. A Taliban spokesman said three foreign soldiers died in the blast.

But officials with NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the US-led coalition battling the Taliban said none of their troops was hurt.

NATO and the US coalition have nearly 50,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Ousted from government by U.S.-led forces in 2001, the Taliban says it has trained hundreds of suicide bombers to carry out attacks.

A British soldier was killed early yesterday during a mission to clear a Taliban compound on the outskirts of Garmsir in Helmand province.

NATO said last week that 85 people, including 40 civilians, had been killed during the first 23 days of May by improvised explosive devices, a favourite tactic of the Taliban.

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