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Attack leaves at least 17 dead in southern Afghanistan

09 July 2014 20:25 (UTC +04:00)

Four civilians and two policemen were among those who died during the Wednesday attack, Kandahar provincial spokesman, Dawa Khan Menapal, said.

All 11 militants were killed by Afghan security forces, the official added.

Two of the bombers detonated their explosives, and the rest of the attackers opened fire on the security forces.

The incident marks the latest in a series of attacks in war-torn Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, a blast killed four NATO troopers, two Afghan policemen and ten civilians in the province of Parwan near the Bagram Air Base.

Over 50 US-led foreign troops, mostly Americans, have died in Afghanistan so far this year.

The Taliban militants have stepped up their attacks against the government and foreign forces as part of their annual summer offensive. The Taliban has vowed to increase attacks on Afghan forces and US-led troops, their bases, diplomatic missions and vehicle convoys before the drawdown of the US-led mission by the end of the year.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country despite the presence of tens of thousands of US-led troops.

The US-led war in Afghanistan, which has caused record-high civilian and military casualties, has become the longest military conflict in the American history.