A Taliban suicide car bomb killed at least 13 people, including six policemen, on Thursday in a normally peaceful region of eastern Afghanistan, officials said, nearly one month after elections.

A Taliban suicide car bomb killed at least 13 people, including six policemen, on Thursday in a normally peaceful region of eastern Afghanistan, officials said, nearly one month after elections.

"A suicide attacker detonated his vehicle-loaded explosive after being identified by security forces," Abdul Aziz Ghairat, police chief of Panjshir province, told AFP.

"Six police were killed, and seven civilians. A number of other civilians and security forces were also wounded."

The ministry of interior confirmed the incident at the highly-guarded checkpoint where vehicles enter the steep Panjshir valley.

"Around 5:00 pm, a suicide bomber in a Toyota Sedan vehicle detonated his explosives-loaded vehicle," it said in a statement. "As a result of this attack, six policemen were killed and a number of civilians were wounded."