Civilians among 4 killed in blasts targeting Afghan police

KABUL, Afghanistan — A series of explosions hit the Afghan capital on Saturday morning, killing at least four people, including two police officers, officials said.

The deaths occurred when a bomb attached to a police vehicle detonated in western Kabul, said police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz. The explosion also wounded two civilians.

Earlier Saturday, two officers were injured when a bomb on their car exploded in southern Kabul, Faramarz said.

Maooma Jafari, deputy Health Ministry spokeswoman, said four bodies and four wounded people were taken to hospitals.

A third bomb detonated in eastern Kabul but caused no casualties, he said.

There were reports of at least two other blasts elsewhere in the city, but police had no immediate details.

Also Saturday, a senior army officer was killed in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb, said Arif Iqbali, a Sholgara district police chief.

Iqbali said Mohammad Tareq, garrison commander of the army brigade in Balkh, was killed in the attack.

The attacks came as Taliban and government negotiators held peace talks in Doha, Qatar, trying to reach a deal to end decades of war.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kabul. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks there in recent months, including those that killed 50 people at educational institutions, most of them students.

The Doha talks have been suspended until January, and there is speculation they could be further delayed.

Taliban militants have waged bitter battles against Islamic State fighters while continuing their insurgency against government forces and keeping their promise not to attack U.S. and NATO troops.