Official says suicide bomber kills 5 police in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least five policemen were killed by a suicide bomber using a military Humvee in Afghanistan’s eastern Ghazni province, an official said Tuesday.

Arif Noori, the governor’s spokesman in Ghazni, said 26 others including a district governor and 18 police were wounded in the attack in Muqar district. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Humvee was taken earlier from Afghan forces by Taliban fighters in a separate attack, said Noori.

Also on Tuesday, the Islamic State group in a statement claimed responsibility for another attack carried out Monday outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in the capital Kabul as employees were leaving work, killing 12 people. Afghan officials said more than 30 others were wounded.

The Taliban have agreed to a cease-fire coinciding with the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The holiday is set to begin later this week. The IS affiliate is not included in the cease-fire.

Meanwhile a provincial official said Taliban insurgents took control of a district headquarters in northern Faryab province late Monday.

Javed Bedar, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Abdul Rahman Falah, the Kohistan district governor, was killed in the attack.