Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills Afghan Regional Police Chief in Kabul

A suicide bomber killed an Afghan provincial police chief in Kabul, a regional official said on Thursday, the latest killing to be claimed by Taliban insurgents in a wave of attacks coinciding with the sharp drawdown of foreign troops.

Matiullah Khan, the head of police in the central province of Uruzgan, was visiting the Afghan capital when he was killed in the western part of the city.

"He left his hotel last night and was with friends when a suicide bomber attacked and killed him," Dost Mohammad Nayab, a spokesman for the governor of Uruzgan, told Reuters.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility on his official Twitter account for Wednesday night's attack.

A government security official in Kabul also confirmed Khan's death, but gave no further details.

Afghanistan continues to be rocked by the attacks of Taliban and other jihadist militants, despite reports the insurgents may be willing to enter negotiations to end a war now in its 14th year.

Late in February, a suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives car into a vehicle belonging to NATO's top envoy in Afghanistan, killing one Turkish solder.