A suicide bomber detonated his explosives near a police checkpoint and a bank in southern Afghanistan, one of two attacks in the heartland of the insurgency that killed 18 people over 24 hours, Belfast Telgraph said.

Separately, a NATO service member was killed by insurgents in the country's east, according to a military statement.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, but Taliban fighters have escalated their activity as U.S.-led foreign forces reduce their presence in the country, having handed over primary responsibility for security to Afghan troops.