An Afghan official says a suicide bomber targeting a village police commander blew himself up in a bazaar in a lawless part of eastern Afghanistan, killing seven people, according to AP. Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy provincial governor of Ghazni province, said Saturday that the attacker on a motorcycle killed Local Police commander Dawlat Khan, three of his men, and three civilians. He says it took place late Friday in Ghazni's Qarabagh district. The Afghan Local Police are a village level force designed to be a first line of defense against the Taliban. They are often targeted by insurgents who see them as a direct threat to their ability to operate. The Taliban have stepped up attacks since foreign troops last month handed security control for the whole country to the Afghans.
