Afghan Attacks Kill 8 Police, 2 NATO Soldiers

Afghan officials say insurgents in central Uruzgan province attacked a police checkpoint late Tuesday, killing seven officers.

Provincial Governor Haji Khudai Rahim says another police officer at the checkpoint was involved in plotting the assault.

In eastern Khost province, a suicide car bomber killed a police officer and wounded four other people Wednesday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Also Wednesday, NATO says two of its troops were killed in separate insurgent attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

The coalition also said it is looking into the possibility that three Afghan civilians were inadvertently killed during combat operations against insurgents in southern Helmand province Wednesday.

The issue of civilian casualties caused by international forces has been a source of tension between the Afghan government and the alliance.

NATO said Wednesday that insurgents were responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Afghan civilians last month, despite the Taliban’s claims that it has protected ordinary citizens.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov ended a two-day unannounced visit to Afghanistan Wednesday.

Angelov met with Bulgarian troops stationed in the war-torn country and several military officials, including the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus.

Bulgaria has a 600-strong contingent in Afghanistan.

Some information in this story was provided by AFP.