A series of roadside explosions killed at least eight police officers in Afghanistan today in the latest violence blamed on the Taliban.
A roadside bomb killed at least four police officers in their vehicle in the southern city of Kandahar, a bastion for Taliban fighters.
When another group of police arrived, a second blast went off near the site of the first explosion. At least three more officers were killed, and a cameraman for the Arabic al-Jazeera television network was among the wounded.
A roadside bomb in Faizabad, the provincial capital of northeastern Badakhshan province wounded the province's top police officer when the device hit his vehicle. One of his bodyguards was killed and another wounded.
Another roadside bomb, aimed at a police vehicle, killed two civilians in the southeastern province of Paktia also today, officials said.
Officials said the Taliban were behind the separate attacks. Ousted from power in 2001, the Taliban have stepped up their attacks the past few weeks after the traditional winter lull.