MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Four civilians and one police officer were killed and five civilians were wounded after gunmen spread bullets on people attending a funeral ceremony in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh on Friday, local police said.

"The incident occurred roughly at midday in Dawlat Abad district, the attackers fled the scene after the firing and police personnel launched a pursuit operation against the fleeing rebels," district police chief Abdul Latif told Xinhua.

Among those killed was an Afghan Local Police official named Mohammad Akhtar, the police official added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet but Latif blamed enemies of Afghanistan, referring to Taliban militant group for the attack.

The relatively peaceful province has been the scene of clashes between security forces and Taliban fighters since early this year.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where Taliban has been recruiting from the youth. Enditem

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