Roadside bomb kills 3 NATO soldiers in Afghanistan

KABUL, June 20 (Reuters) A roadside bomb hit a NATO vehicle in southern Afghanistan today, killing three soldiers, the alliance said.

NATO did not give the location of the attack or the nationality of the victims, in line with a policy of letting relevant national authorities release the news.

Troops from various NATO countries operate in the Afghan south, most from Britain, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast which a spokesman for the insurgents said was in Helmand province.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months after a traditional winter lull, with foreign forces launching attacks against Taliban strongholds in the south and east and the guerrillas hitting back with roadside and suicide bombings.

In a separate incident, a roadside bomb killed the police chief of a district in the southeastern province of Khost. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that blast too.

REUTERS ak nd1914