Afghan suicide attack kills five police in Jalalabad

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Afghan police and U.S. forces arrive to the scene after eight suicide bombers attacked a police headquarters in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Image caption,
The mangled wreckage of a vehicle blown up in the attack is seen in Jalalabad

Five police officers have been killed in a suicide attack on a police station in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, officials have told the BBC.

The Taliban said they carried out the attack, which also wounded six officers and seven civilians.

Eight suicide attackers armed with weapons attacked the police HQ of Nangarhar, officials say. At least three were killed by police.

It comes a day after US Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Afghanistan.

Mr Kerry told a press conference that Afghanistan and the US were "on the same page" regarding peace talks with the Taliban.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai had recently angered Washington by accusing the US and the Taliban of colluding to prolong the conflict.

Police confirmed that Tuesday's attack had come to an end.

The assault began as one attacker detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. Another three managed to get inside the police headquarters and detonate their suicide vests, officials said.

The Taliban said that the attack targeted "foreigners and Israeli teachers" training Afghan police at the base in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, according to the AFP news agency.

In December the Taliban attacked a joint US-Afghan airbase in Jalalabad, killing four Afghan soldiers and wounding Nato troops.