2nd LD Writethru: 5 killed, 51 injured in suicide bombing in S. Afghanistan

Three attackers and two civilians were killed while 51 people wounded in a suicide car bombing and ensuing gunshots in Lashkar Gah, capital of southern Afghan province of Helmand on Tuesday, an official said.

The attack took place in the morning after one attacker detonated a car bomb near the provincial police station building, killing himself and two civilians and injuring 51 others, Omar Zwak, the provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua.

Two armed militants, who tried to enter the building and take position, were shot dead by security forces, the source added.

"One woman was among the killed by the blast. The injured were shifted to Emergency Hospital in the city and among the wounded were two police personnel. The death toll may rise as several injured remained in critical condition," according to Zwak.

The explosion also destroyed several houses and vehicles at the site in addition to shattering windowpanes of surrounding buildings.

The attackers were disguised in police uniform, according to officials.

No group has claimed responsibility yet for the attack, but the Taliban militant group routinely claims responsibility for such attacks.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since mid-April when the militant group launched a yearly rebel offensive against Afghan security forces.

In the first four months of 2015, about 1,000 civilians were killed and more than 1,960 others wounded in conflicts and Taliban- led insurgency which showed a 16 percent increase over the same period last year, according to official figures released by the UN mission in the country. Endi