Suicide attack kills attacker, wounds 2 soldiers in southern Afghanistan

Two Afghan soldiers sustained injuries after the attacker blew himself up next to a security checkpoint in southern Afghanistan Wednesday night, district police chief Mohammad Ismael Hotak said Thursday.

The suicide bomber who was approaching the security checkpoint in Gereshk district of the southern Helmand province Wednesday night but security man on duty ordered him to stop.

He ignored and blew himself up, killing himself and injuring two soldiers, the official added.

Hotak blamed Taliban militants for organizing the attack. However, the armed outfit, which is largely relying on suicide and roadside bombings, has yet to claim responsibility.

The poppy-growing Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital, 555 km south of Kabul, has been the scene of bloody fighting between government forces and Taliban militants over the past few years. Endit