Afghan minister survives suicide strike on home

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan's minister of refugees' resettlement survived an attack on his residence by two suicide bombers wearing explosive vests, the minister and other officials said.

"I am fine. Two suicide bombers tried to enter my house but were identified by policemen," the minister, Abdul Karim Brahawi, told Reuters.

Three civilians were killed and 16 wounded in the attack on his home in Zaranj, capital of Nimroz Province, he said.

Provincial Police Chief Jabar Purdeli said the first attacker was a man disguised as a woman in a burqa. He was intercepted by guards trying to enter the building and detonated his explosives during a shootout.

Police then chased the second attacker, who was wearing a military uniform. He exploded his bomb in crowd of bystanders, killing the three civilians.

Nimroz governor Gulam Dastagir Azaad also confirmed the attack.

Nimroz, a sparsely populated desert province in Afghanistan's southwest corner bordering on Pakistan and Iran, has seen insurgent attacks as well as criminal violence.

Brahawi is himself a former governor of the province and has held other posts in the central government in Kabul.

(Reporting by Sharafuddin Sharafyar; writing by Peter Graff; editing by Jerry Norton and Valerie Lee)