Press TV: Afghan Blast Kills Police Chief, Troops

A massive bomb explosion in northern Afghanistan has killed at least seven people, including three German soldiers and a regional police chief: The bomb went off inside Takhar Province Governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa's office complex, leaving him injured. Three German soldiers and four Afghans including General Mohammed Daoud, and the chief of police for Takhar province. NATO's military commander for northern Afghanistan, German general Markus Kneip, survived the attack, according to a NATO spokesman. Police said the attack occurred while officials were holding a meeting there. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. Roadside bombs or improvised explosive devices are by far the most lethal weapons Taliban militants have used against foreign troops and Afghan forces. Violence has been on the rise in the north, with US-led foreign coalition sending more troops to the region in a bid to push harder into militant-held areas. The deadly incident comes as Taliban militants are believed to have been making inroads in different parts of Afghanistan. Last year was the deadliest for foreign military forces deployed in Afghanistan, with over 711 soldiers killed. So far this year, at least 206 foreign soldiers, most of them Americans have been killed in Afghanistan. The rising number of casualties has increased opposition to the Afghan war in NATO member states.