Three police officers killed in bomb attack in northeastern Afghanistan

“The bomb exploded when the police convoy was on its way to destroy the poppy cultivation,” Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The explosion came days after clashes between Taliban security officials and residents over violent clearing of poppy crops in two districts of Badakhshan left two people dead and sparked rare protests.

Afghanistan was the largest opium producer before poppy cultivation was banned by a decree from the top Taliban leader in April 2022.

Farmers were encouraged to grow a variety of crops, but none could compete with the financial appeal of the poppy, leading some to continue to discreetly farm small plots.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

An AFP journalist saw Taliban authorities searching homes and arresting dozens of people near the crime scene.

Images posted on social media but not immediately verified by AFP showed a charred motorcycle and a police truck riddled with holes.

Eyewitness Aminullah, who declined to give his full name, said he heard a huge explosion and saw that a convoy of Taliban authorities had been hit.

“Security forces immediately cleared the area of ​​people,” he told AFP.

The number of bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan has fallen since the Taliban ended their insurgency after toppling the US-backed government and returning to power in August 2021.

However, a number of armed groups, including the Islamic State group, continue to pose a threat and explosions are regularly reported, which are not confirmed by authorities.

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