Officials in Afghanistan say the commander of a pro-government militia force has been killed by a roadside bomb in an attack blamed on Taleban insurgents.
Officials say the commander was killed Friday, when his car was hit by the blast in southern Helmand province. Reuters news agency identifies the victim as Shadi Khan -- the former chief of Deshu district police.
Hours earlier, a government official was killed in an ambush in neighboring Zabul province.
Violence has spiraled in recent weeks after a winter lull in fighting, with repeated attacks on Afghan security forces and U.S.-led coalition troops.
Taleban fighters have been waging an insurgency since U.S.-led forces ousted the hard-line Afghan government in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
