KABUL, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Five police officers were killed in Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a landmine on Thursday, the Afghan Interior Ministry said.
The blast occurred in the country's southern province of Helmand, at 8:15 a.m. [GMT 4:45] near the village of Nad Ali.
Three other police officers in the vehicle were injured.
The country's Interior Ministry has blamed the incident on the Taliban, calling them the "enemy of the people."
The country has seen a surge in violence in the past week, raising security concerns ahead of upcoming elections. The Taliban has called on Afghans to boycott the elections, and has pledged to disrupt the vote.
In another incident on Wednesday, a tractor with a trailer carrying guests to a wedding struck a landmine, killing 20 and injuring five others.
