21 killed in southern Afghanistan attacks

KABUL - At least 21 people were killed and scores wounded Saturday in a series of attacks in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, officials said.

Seventeen people - 15 policemen, an Afghan army soldier, and a civilian - were killed and 60 others wounded in attacks by Taliban militants in Kandahar, said Zulmai Ayobi, the provincial governor’s spokesman.

Afghan security forces killed four suicide bombers, while one wounded insurgent was detained, Ayobi said.

The provincial police headquarters also came under fire after Taliban insurgents entered a public wedding hall next to the police office and fired rocket-propelled grenades.

The Taliban attacked different parts of Kandahar city, detonating two explosive-laden vehicles, Ayobi said. Police found three more cars packed with explosives, and defused the bombs.

Kandahar, the heartland of Taliban insurgents, has seen fierce fighting since US and NATO forces escalated their operations last summer. US forces claim “fragile and reversible” gains in the region.