KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan police spokesman said a roadside bombing has killed the top government official of a district in western Farah province. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The spokesman, Iqbal Baher, said that Abdul Khaliq, the top official in the Khak-e-Safed district, died in the bombing near his home in the city of Farah, the provincial capital, on Tuesday.

He said Khaliq was on his way home from a mosque earlier in the morning when the explosion took place.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yusouf Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack in Farah city.

Taliban insurgents frequently use roadside bombs and suicide attacks to target government officials as well as Afghan security forces across the country.