Kabul, Jun 7 (IANS): At least two people were killed and 18 others wounded as a car bomb blast hit a district police station in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, according to a sources.

The incident occurred on Sunday in the Balkh district police station located in the northwest of the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif, the source told Xinhua news agency.

The official said the blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and caused panic and damages.

Adil Shah Adil, provincial police spokesperson, told Xinhua that head of the district police's criminal investigation department and one officer were killed and 18 other people, including the district police chief and several civilians were wounded in the incident.

Local residents told media that a Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden hijacked military vehicle at the front gate of office of the police station, destroying several buildings and vehicles.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

However, Afghan officials have blamed the Taliban militant group for the bomb explosions in recent months.