Taliban kill five police in attack south of Kabul

LOGAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers killed five police in an attack on Afghan government buildings south of the capital on Monday, officials and residents said, the latest in a series of brazen assaults in a growing insurgency.

With violence surging across Afghanistan ahead of an August 20 presidential poll, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said six fighters wearing vests packed with explosives had attacked key buildings in Pule Alam, the provincial capital of Logar and an hour's drive south of Kabul.

Their targets included the governor's office, police and election offices, he told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Unofficial police reports in Pule Alam said at least three of the suicide bombers may have been killed and two detained.

A battle was still raging late on Monday afternoon and residents said U.S. Apache attack helicopters could be seen hovering and sporadic gunfire heard.

Abdul Rahim, an aid worker in the provincial capital, said five police were killed and 26 people were wounded. He said at least three of the Taliban attackers were dressed in burqas, the head-to-toe coverings worn by some Afghan women.

Captain Elizabeth Mathias, a media officer for U.S. and NATO-led troops, said she understood there had been a "vehicle-borne" bomb attack on the governor's office and another attack on police.

Private Afghan television station Tolo, quoting an unidentified Logar official, said Afghan security forces had been locked in gun battles with insurgents for several hours.

It said Taliban fighters fired six rockets at government buildings.

Monday's attack resembled similarly brazen assaults on the eastern cities of Khost and Gardez last month, when gunmen and suicide bombers, some disguised as women, attacked government buildings.

Attacks across Afghanistan have escalated since U.S. Marines and British soldiers launched offensives in the southern province of Helmand, long a Taliban stronghold, in the past two months.

The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the election and have called on Afghans to boycott the vote.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Writing by Paul Tait; Editing by David Fox)