KHOST, May 19: A suicide bomber struck at a lunch gathering of Afghan police and local civilians in southeast Afghanistan on Saturday killing at least 13 people, three of them policemen, officials said.

The attacker, wearing a suicide vest, walked into a police checkpost in the troubled district of Alisher in Khost province and detonated himself, a statement issued by the provincial governor’s office said.

“Unfortunately as a result of this cruel attack ten civilians including two children and three policemen were martyred while five policemen and one child were injured,” the statement said.

District Governor Amir Badsha Dawran earlier said the assailant shot dead a security guard before making his way into the checkpost.

According to Dawran, the locals in the area were having regular “friendly” meetings with security forces to discuss various issues including security in the area.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that all the casualties were Afghan security personnel.

The Taliban and other militants frequently target Afghan security forces as part of their campaign to bring down the western-backed Kabul government.

Civilians however bear the brunt of the decade-long war.—AFP