Afghan officials say unidentified gunmen fatally shot one of the country's most prominent female police officers.

Malalai Kakar was killed Sunday as she traveled from her home in the southern city of Kadahar.  Her son was also wounded in the attack.  The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Kakar, a mother of six, was the head of the department of crimes against women in Kandahar.  She was regularly profiled in international media and known for her courage in one of Afghanistan's most conservative and male-dominated provinces.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned the assassination.  Officials from the European Union said Kakar was an example to her country and to Afghan women.

In other violence, Afghan police officials say a raid by US-led coalition forces killed three civilians in eastern Kunar province overnight.

The coalition says its troops targeted al-Qaida militants responsible for a series of bomb attacks in the region.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.