Afghan roadside blast kills six

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At least six Afghan security personnel have been killed in a roadside blast in eastern Afghanistan, officials say.

The explosion, possibly caused by a landmine, destroyed their vehicle in Kunar province, near Pakistan border.

Officials have blamed the attack on Taleban insurgents who have a strong presence in the region.

Bloodshed in Afghanistan has returned to levels not seen since the fall of the Taleban in 2001, with parts of the south and east hit particularly hard.

The details of the blast are sketchy and there are differing reports about the identity of the dead.

The Associated Press said those killed included intelligence officers, policemen and security guards.

While the AFP news agency quoted police commander Abdul Sabour Allahyar as saying that the six were Afghan militia fighters working with the US-led coalition forces.

"A mine went off under their vehicle," Mr Allahyar told the agency, adding that four other militiamen had been wounded in the blast which took place late on Sunday.

In a separate incident, in the southern province of Zabul, militants attacked a convoy of civilian lorries carrying supplies for foreign military bases, police said.

They said at least 12 lorries in the convoy were destroyed by the attackers.