KANDAHAR: Two students were killed in a blast at a university in Kandahar on Saturday, one of the most troubled places in Afghanistan, police said.

One of the dead students is also secretary to the police chief of Kandahar province.

“The blast took place near the engineering faculty of Kandahar University and has killed two students, one of them my office secretary,” police chief General Abdul Razaq told AFP.

The blast was confirmed by Hazratmeer Totakhil, the university chancellor. An AFP reporter at the scene said he heard a second blast after police cordoned off the area.

Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban and has been the scene of some fierce fighting in recent weeks, including a two-day siege which saw militants trying to take control of government buildings last month.

The Taliban frequently target police and those associated with them. The previous police chief of Kandahar was assassinated in April.