Taliban ambush, kill six policemen in southern Afghanistan

Attack takes place 45 kilometres from Kandahar city; policemen fired on after they were lured into abandoned building

Taliban insurgents have killed six policemen in southern Afghanistan after luring them to an abandoned building by setting off a bomb, officials said Tuesday.

The attack took place Monday night in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, 45 kilometres from Kandahar city.

"They were fired on as they arrived at the house. Unfortunately six police were martyred," provincial police spokesperson Zia Durrani told AFP.

Samim Khpalwak, the provincial governor's spokesperson, confirmed the details of the incident.

The attack highlights Afghanistan's fragile security situation. Local forces are tackling a persistent Taliban-led insurgency on their own after US-led NATO forces ended their combat mission in late December.

On Monday the Afghan military and police jointly launched a major operation in neighbouring Helmand province ahead of an anticipated increase in violence in the spring season.

On Sunday night a female member of the provincial council in the eastern province of Nangarhar died in hospital following a bomb attack on her vehicle last week.

Angiza Shinwari was critically injured after a sticky bomb attached to her vehicle detonated in the provincial capital city Jalalabad last Tuesday. The explosion killed her driver on the spot and wounded three other people.

Experts and Afghan military officials anticipate a surge in Taliban violence with the start of the traditional spring and summer "fighting season" in April or May.

The US and its allies have reduced their military presence in Afghanistan to a contingent of about 12,500 who are mainly focused on training and support for the 350,000 Afghan troops and police.