Six police officers along with the chief of Yahyakhail district police were killed Thursday after a bomb was detonated by remote control, official sources informed.

The incident occurred in the south- astern province of Paktika, as the policemen were inspecting a weapon cache. Taliban insurgents triggered the powerful blast from distance, also injuring four other servicemen.

Meanwhile thirteen militants died Wednesday in the Helmand province following clashes with coalition troops and local police, government official reported Thursday. According to the same statement, only six of the killed militants were Afghans, a new proof that insurgency receives support from outside the country borders.

Five other rebels were killed Wednesday in the same province, after a larger group attacked peacekeeping forces with heavy gun-fire.

”Coalition forces returned fire and suppressed the enemy fighting positions. Coalition forces killed several Taliban fighters and destroyed two enemy positions during the six-hour battle, “ a statement issued by the coalition said.

Thousands of foreign soldiers and local police forces try to quell the huge wave of violence that rummages Afghanistan since the beginning of 2007.