Taliban suicide bomber kills 12 in Afghan market

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A suicide bomber walked up to a police convoy in a crowded market in southwestern Afghanistan and detonated explosives Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding 26 others, officials said.

Five police officers died in the attack, which happened in the Del Aram district attack in Farah province. Seven civilians were killed, said Ali Khan Hussainzada, police chief of criminal investigations in western Afghanistan.

There have been conflicting reports about the identity of the bomber. Police chief Hussainzada said the attack was carried out by a woman, while the Taliban, which claimed responsibility, said the bomber was a man.

In an operation on Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, troops killed a militant and detained 13 others, the U.S.-led coalition said. The incident took place in Helmand province.

In recent months, attacks have shot up against security forces and coalition and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan. Officials have blamed the Taliban -- the Islamic militia that once ruled most of Afghanistan -- and its al Qaeda allies.

A State Department report said in April that the Taliban have strengthened their military and technical capabilities.

Its use of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombs have become more frequent and more deadly, the report said.

Quoting U.N.-compiled figures, the State Department said terrorists launched about 140 suicide-bomb attacks in 2007 in Afghanistan.

The total number of terror attacks in Afghanistan increased from 969 in 2006 to 1,127 last year, and the number of people killed, injured or kidnapped as the result of terrorism rose from 3,557 in 2006 to 4,673 in 2007, the report said.

Journalist Farhad Peikar contributed to this report