Two cops, one civilian killed in Taliban explosion in eastern Ghazni province

Two members of the security forces and a civilian passer-by were killed in a confrontation with the Taliban in eastern Ghazni province, Afghan officials said on Wednesday. The Taliban were driving in a stolen Humvee packed with explosives that detonated as the police fired warning shots to get the suspicious vehicle to stop.

The incident took place on Wednesday in the city of Ghazni, the provincial capital. Hospital chief Baz Mohammad Hemat says 10 civilians and five policemen were also wounded in the explosion. Arif Noori, the provincial governor's spokesman, says officials had received intelligence reports that the Taliban were preparing to stage such an attack. Noori says four Taliban were also killed in the incident. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban hold much of Ghazni province.