Afghan 'suicide bomb kills eight'

A suicide bomber has killed himself and seven others in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials say.

The man, dressed as a civilian, blew himself up inside a local government compound in the town of Nadali, not far from provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

Four policemen and three civilians were killed as well as the bomber.

Suicide bombings have soared in recent months. More than 3,000 people have been killed this year as Afghan and foreign forces battle Taleban fighters.

'Nato pressure'

Helmand, a Taleban stronghold, has seen some of the worst of the violence.

The district police chief was among the wounded in the blast in Nadali.

The Taleban says it was responsible for the attack - and that it was carried out by a local man.

This is the latest in a series of suicide bombings in Helmand - in the worst incident, a week ago, 29 people were killed when a man riding a motorised rickshaw blew himself up next to a police convoy.

The BBC's Chris Morris in the capital, Kabul, says British Nato troops and Afghan forces are clashing with the Taleban on a daily basis in Helmand, putting them under constant military pressure.

But Taleban leaders have vowed to use the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan to launch a new operation of their own, involving suicide bombings and other attacks.