Scores killed in Afghan fighting, suicide blast

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan police headquarters in the east of the country yesterday, killing at least eight people, officials said.

The attack came as the US-led coalition said it had killed 35 Taliban insurgents in fierce fighting two days ago.

Seven of those killed in the suicide attack in Khost were border police and the eighth was a civilian, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Six policemen were also wounded.

Taliban commander Mullah Hayatullah Khan told Reuters by telephone his insurgents had carried out the attack.

The Taliban have vowed to step up suicide bombings as fighting against US-led forces intensifies after the traditional winter lull.

Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 35 Taliban fighters on Thursday in a fierce five-hour battle supported by air strikes and artillery, the US military said in a statement.

Foreign and Afghan forces have launched a major offensive in Helmand, Afghanistan's major opium producing province.

A British soldier was killed in separate fighting in Helmand on Friday, the 12th foreign casualty in the bloodiest week in months for NATO and Coalition forces.