Suicide attack kills two children in Afghanistan

Two botched suicide attacks in Afghanistan on Friday killed two children and injured four other civilians, officials said.

Two botched suicide attacks in Afghanistan on Friday killed two children and injured four other civilians, officials said.

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An attacker accidentally set off his explosives before reaching his intended target of an Afghan military compound in Sangin district in southern Helmand province, police said.

"He mistakenly detonated as he was getting ready just outside the army compound killing two children," district police chief Mohammad Wali told AFP.

In a second incident, in eastern Kunar province, a suicide attacker fell to the ground while he was being chased by police, triggering his explosives, an official said.

Four nearby civilians were wounded in the blast, provincial spokesman Zarghun Shah Khaliqyar told AFP.

The attacker had been walking towards a joint Afghan and foreign forces base in Nari district of the province. After ignoring orders to stop, he threw a hand grenade at police who fired shots and chased him down, Khaliqyar said.

"After he threw the grenade at police and started running, police shot him. The grenade explosion and gun shots made people hide in shops and other places, that is why the suicide blast did not cause heavy casualties," Khaliqyar said.

There have been more than 100 suicide attacks this year mainly targeting US and NATO-led forces as well as the Afghan police and army.