At least 26 people were killed and more than 50 others injured as an arms dump exploded early Monday morning in the remote village of Baghgah of Baghlan province, 120 km north of the capital, local officials said.

"Some 26 were killed and over 50 others wounded. Of these 28 injured men have been taken to hospital at Baghlan's provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri," Ghulam Hazrat, a doctor at the hospital told Xinhua.

The depot, he said, belonged to a former anti-Taliban commander Mohammad Jalal.

Seven persons of Jalal's family, according to a local commander Ghafoor were also among the victims.

Six houses and one mosque were also destroyed in the explosion,Ghafoor added.

However, the cause of the incident has yet to be known and no official was immediately available to comment on it.

Two policemen were also killed in a mine explosion in southern Kandahar province late Sunday.

Remnants of Taliban, whose regime was ousted by the US military in late 2001, have intensified their attacks since the onset of spring in which over 50 people including Afghan, US troops as well as militias were killed.