3 die in attempt on Afghan minister

A suicide attack targeting an Afghan cabinet minister killed three civilians Friday but failed to harm the politician in the southwest of the war-torn country, an official said.
The attack on Mohammed Karim Brahawi occurred in Zaranj, capital of Nimroz province.
"Two suicide bombers armed with guns and hand grenades intended to target the refugees minister," Nimroz governor Ghulam Dastagir Azad told AFP.
"The suicide bombers were recognised. One was shot dead in the street where the minister lives, while another escaped and exploded during the firing.
"Three civilians were killed and three were wounded in the blast," he said.
No group claimed immediate responsibility, but the Taliban are waging a deadly insurgency against the Western-backed government in a bid to regain power eight years after they were toppled in a US-led invasion.
Separately, the US military said Friday that Afghan and coalition forces killed up to six militants during an overnight operation in a southern Taliban stronghold.