Kabul, Sep 9 (IANS): Five Afghan policemen were killed in a clash followed by a blast in the eastern province of Laghman Tuesday, sources said.

"Taliban militants launched an attack on an Afghan Local Police (ALP) checkpoint in Badpakh district. The ALP responded to the attack, killing several militants," the provincial government said in a statement.

Two ALP cops were also killed and another sustained injuries in the incident, Xinhua reported citing the statement.

The statement also said that three other ALP members were killed when their vehicle set off a roadside bomb in the same area.

The ALP, or community police, was established in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence.

The three killed ALP personnel were travelling to shift the casualties in the earlier incident, according to the statement.

The statement did not disclose the number of militants killed. Provincial Governor Fazlullah Mujadidi strongly condemned the attacks.

The Taliban have intensified attacks over the past couple of months as the NATO and US forces are withdrawing from the country. The war-torn country is due to take over the responsibility for its own security from NATO-led troops by the end of year.

Earlier on the day, six civilians were wounded in a bomb attack in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of northern Balkh province, 305 km north of Kabul.

More than 41,000 NATO-led coalition troops, down from the peak of 130,000 in 2010, are stationed in Afghanistan. Nearly 29,000 of them are Americans and the US plans to trim its forces to less than 10,000 next year.