Roundup: Suicide attack, gun shots kill 2, wound 7 in S. Afghanistan

At least two people had been killed and seven others including five civilians injured in Taliban former stronghold the southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces on Monday, officials confirmed.

In the first but bloody one, a suicide attacker detonated his suicide vest in Kandahar province with Kandahar city as its capital 450 km south of Kabul on Monday afternoon killing himself and injuring seven others, spokesman for Kandahar provincial government, Samim Khapalwak said.

"A man tied explosive device in his body blew himself up next to a vehicle of the Border Police Force in Kandahar city at 02:15 p.m. local time today injuring seven persons including five civilians and two police men," Khapalwak told reporters.

The bomber was also killed in his blast, the official added.

Meantime, a security official on the condition of anonymity said that the target of attacker was Border Police Force commander in Kandahar province, Asmatullah Khan but he escaped unhurt.

In another violent incident which occurred in the neighboring Helmand province, unidentified armed men, ostensibly Taliban militants, gunned down a district governor on Monday, a local official said.

"Manan Khan the governor of Nawa district, Helmand province was on way to the neighboring Kandahar province today (Monday) when unknown armed men, presumably Taliban rebels intercepted his vehicle and shot him dead," Shafiq Safi told reporters.

Both Kandahar and Helmand provinces commonly known as the hotbed of Taliban are notorious for growing poppy and militancy in the conflict-hit country.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power have speeded up activities since launching their so-called spring offensive on April 24 and since then have conducted several deadly attacks mostly in the shape of suicide bombing and massive offensives which have claimed hundreds of lives in different parts of Afghanistan including the capital city Kabul.

A suicide bombing in Kabul city on Sunday for which Taliban outfit claimed of responsibility had left at least three people dead and injured 18 others, all civilians.

Taliban militants in the absence of NATO-led troops which ended their combat mission in late 2014, according to Afghan observers, would expand their activities in spring and summer to grab more lands and consolidate their positions before the outset of winter in the war-torn central Asian state. Endi