Eighteen killed in two Afghan suicide attacks

At least 18 people including eight children and a policeman were killed and 15 others injured Saturday in two separate suicide attacks in Afghanistan, officials said. Eight children and a policeman were killed and two civilians injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-vest in the eastern province of Khost, police said.
"A policeman hugged the bomber, who wanted to pass a checkpoint in the outskirts of Khost city. The policeman and eight children playing around were killed and two civilians were injured," Yaqoub Khan, a police official said, referring to the capital of the province with the same name. In central Kabul, another suicide bomber killed nine people and injured 13 at an entrance to the Afghan Defence Ministry Saturday.