Taliban kill 18 in attack on police HQ

Taliban insurgents wearing explosive vests attacked a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan, unleashing an arsenal of car bombs, automatic rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

At least 18 people, many of them police, died and dozens were wounded. The Saturday afternoon raid on the provincial police base in Kandahar appeared to be an effort to undercut Nato assertions that the security situation had improved since last year's influx of US and Afghan troops. Fifteen of the 18 people killed were Afghan police officers. Five suicide bombers also died.