Afghan officials say a bomb blast has killed at least four people, including two children, at a market in southern Afghanistan.
Officials say the bomb was hidden near a group of policemen in the Gereshk district of southern Helmand province. The district chief says the explosion also killed a civilian man and at least one police officer.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan says alliance forces have had some success this year in driving Taleban militants from the opium-producing southern province.
In an interview with British radio (BBC), U.S. General Dan McNeill also said that the hard-fought gains could be lost if Afghan security forces fail to hold the territory. He said there is a chance the Taleban could return to the area in coming months.
The NATO forces in Helmand province are mostly British troops. They say they have recaptured much of the Helmand River valley from the Taleban over the last six months.