Landmine kills Afghan policemen

A civilian was injured in one of the Kandahar blasts

Seven Afghan policemen died when their vehicle drove over a landmine in the southern province of Kandahar.

Provincial police chief Khan Mohammad said the mine appeared to have been activated by remote control.

He said the policemen were travelling in the eastern Maruf district where insurgents headed by remnants of the former Taleban regime are active.

Security in Afghanistan remains a big concern in the run-up to landmark presidential elections on 9 October.

In a separate development on Tuesday, two Taleban fighters were killed when a bomb they were trying to set in Kandahar exploded, police said. An Afghan civilian was injured in the incident.

On Monday, Afghan security forces raided a Taleban hideout in the neighbouring Oruzgan province, killing seven suspected insurgents in a three-hour gun battle, Afghan officials said.

Provincial chief of police, Matiullah Khan, said the insurgents had earlier attacked a police checkpoint about 40km from Tarin Kowt.

Five insurgents were arrested in the raid. There were no casualties in the Afghan forces, Matiullah Khan said.

Taleban's 'last chance'

Afghan officials have warned of likelihood of further violence by Taleban fighters and allied Islamic militants ahead of the poll, the BBC's Paul Anderson in Kandahar reports.

Taleban violence and threats against candidates and voters have hampered the election campaign in many parts of the country, especially the south and east.

Twelve people were killed in election-related violence over the nine-month registration campaign. Hundreds have died in militant attacks in the last year.

Kandahar's governor Yusef Pashtoon said on Tuesday that he was expecting attacks against anyone involved in the election process to be stepped up in the coming days.

He said there was evidence of a build-up of insurgents.

In the past five days security forces have discovered and detonated three bombs in Kandahar City alone, our correspondent says.

He says the authorities have in place a small protection force, comprising police, the army, reservists, tribal militias and - in an outer security ring - American-led coalition forces.

Governor Pashtoon said the run-up to the election was like a last chance for the Taleban - all the more so if the election proved to be a force for unity in Afghanistan.