Afghan suicide blasts 'kill four'

A double suicide attack has left at least five people dead and several injured in the south-eastern Afghan town of Khost, officials say.

One bomber penetrated intelligence service headquarters wearing an official uniform, officials said. Two soldiers were killed in the attack.

Around the same time, a second suicide bomber targeted the nearby anti-drugs office, killing three policemen.

A Taleban spokesman said they carried out the attacks.

He told the AFP news agency that "three operatives" were involved.

"There were three suicide attackers who detonated themselves in Khost province. Their target was the deputy intelligence director," the spokesman said.

'Explosives'

The deputy governor of Khost province, Tahir Khan Sabari, told AFP that the suicide car bomb at the intelligence office "martyred two intelligence workers and wounded three others".

Around the same time, another suicide bomber wearing Afghan army uniform and carrying an assault rifle tried to get into the nearby counter-narcotics building but was stopped by police guards who shot at him, Mr Sabari said.

"Police fired at him and explosives strapped to his body went off, killing three policemen and wounding seven others including three civilians," he said.

"Police are searching for more attackers but we are not sure if there are any other attackers in the area," he said.