Two suicide bombers¹ have attacked a police HQ in Afghanistan's south-eastern Paktika province, officials say, killing² at least 12 officers.

阿富汗东南部帕克蒂卡省警察总部遭到两起自杀式炸弹袭击，至少12名警官丧生。

A Taliban spokesman said its fighters had carried out the attack, which also injured at least 13 policemen.

The suicide bombers reportedly detonated（引爆，爆炸） devices in the compound of the regional police headquarters.

Paktika, which borders Pakistan, has been the target of numerous attacks from insurgents³（叛乱分子） .

The BBC's Paul Wood in Kabul says that as Nato pursues offensives in Helmand and Kandahar, other parts of Afghanistan have become more violent.

'Covered with blood'

Both attackers were dressed as police officers and entered the main police compound some 20 minutes apart.

They made it through three security checkpoints on the roads outside before reaching the main police headquarters.

One attacker detonated his explosives inside the building, another one near the entrance.

Nawab Waziry, the head of Paktika's provincial⁴ council, told Associated Press news agency: "There are lots of casualties. The site was covered with blood."

The Paktika region has been the target of many US drone attacks on insurgents.

Nato forces also killed 19 Taliban fighters who attacked an outpost（前哨，警戒部队） in the province in October.

In May a group of suicide bombers attacked a police base in Urgun district. At least one policeman and four militants⁵ were killed.