Suicide bomber kills 18

A suicide bomber disguised in a burqa blew himself up in a bazaar in western Afghanistan day, killing six police and 12 civilians, officials said.

Twenty-two people were wounded in the blast, which happened near a police station in the Del Aram district of Farah province. The policemen were inspecting vehicles on the road outside at the time.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said the attack was carried out by a member of the group.

(China Daily 05/16/2008 page12)