A suicide attack in southwestern Afghanistan Thursday killed six police officers and an Indian construction engineer, and wounded a dozen others.

Among those wounded were 11 Afghan police and another Indian. The attack targeted a convoy carrying a group of Indian engineers in Nimroz province.

Afghan police did not say who was behind the attack, but Taliban rebels have often been blamed for such attacks.

A resurgent Taliban movement and other Afghan rebel forces have stepped up their attacks against Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces over the past year.

On Wednesday, U.S. military officials in Afghanistan said a soldier and his Afghan interpreter were killed in a roadside bombing in the eastern province of Khost.

And Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said Wednesday at least four militants were killed in separate incidents when bombs they were planting exploded prematurely.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.