Afghan officials: provincial police chief killed in Kabul

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan provincial police chief visiting the country's capital was killed by a suicide bomber disguised as a woman, officials said Thursday.

Mattiullah Khan, chief of police in central Uruzgan province, was in western Kabul when he was killed late Wednesday by a bomber "dressed in women's clothes and a burqa," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear why Khan was in Kabul, though the acting governor of Uruzgan, Amanullah Timory, said it was for official business.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing, which comes as Afghanistan prepares to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

The Taliban have fought the Kabul government for 14 years and are currently under pressure to open a dialogue aimed at ending the violence.

Insurgents have stepped up suicide attacks and ambushes on government targets since an Afghan army offensive began in southern Helmand province two months ago.