KABUL, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - A suicide bomber killed two people including one civilian and injured 17 others in southern Afghanistan's Zabul province on Tuesday, local officials said.

The terrorist set off an explosive-laden vest while walking through an Afghan police security convoy in the Shahjoy district.

The explosion killed one officer and one bystander. Of the wounded, 15 are civilians.

Zabul, which shares a border with Pakistan, is one of the most violence-ridden provinces in Afghanistan, and a focus for the Taliban-led insurgency.

The country has seen a surge in violence in the past week, raising security concerns ahead of the August 20 presidential and local elections. The Taliban has called on Afghans to boycott the elections, and has pledged to disrupt the vote.