Police wounded in a roadside bombing that left eight of their colleagues dead receive treatment at an Afghan hospital.

They had just finished defusing a roadside device and had arrested three suspected Taliban fighters when the blast occurred late Saturday.

The six wounded were taken to the Kandahar provincial hospital.

(SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) AHMADULLAH KHAN, POLICEMAN AND VICTIM OF ROADSIDE BOMBING, SAYING:

"During a search operation in the area my colleague picked up a fuel container from the ground. Suddenly there was an explosion and I don't know what happened after that."

The regional police chief said two of the suspects arrested were killed and the third wounded.

Twelve other police officers were killed in two earlier blasts Saturday in the Kunduz and Ghazni provinces.