Afghan and coalition forces killed 23 Taliban militants in clashes in a southern district briefly held by the rebels earlier this month.

The car exploded as the anti-Taliban governor of Nangarhar province left the mosque on the outskirts of the provincial capital Jalalabad after prayers for a respected former guerrilla who died this month.

"Five policemen in the car were martyred," said interior ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai. "The bomb, a remote-controlled device, was placed in the car and exploded. Six or seven people were wounded."

Another three passers-by were killed, Nangarhar police chief Basir Salangi said, confirming that five policemen were dead.

He said another five police were wounded, as were seven civilians.

Hospital doctor Mohammad Sami Seen told AFP that 10 wounded people were being treated. "We had 12 people injured. Two of them died in the hospital," he said.

The governor, Gul Agha Sherzai, was 15 metres (50 feet) from the explosion. He was unhurt. The car carrying the policemen was destroyed while a second car nearby carrying the governor's bodyguards was damaged.

Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces killed 23 Taliban militants in clashes in a southern district briefly held by the rebels earlier this month, a district police commander said Monday.

Provincial officials said they were aware of the report and were checking.

Ten were killed on Sunday in a raid in Helmand province's Garmser district on the border with Pakistan, district police commander Ghulam Rasoul Aka told AFP.