Blast targeting Afghan police commander kills seven

KABUL: A suicide bomber targeting a village police commander blew himself up in a bazaar in a lawless part of eastern Afghanistan, killing seven people, an Afghan official said.
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 said the attack 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 defence 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.