2 kids killed in Kandahar suicide bombing March 22, 2012 -- Updated 1426 GMT (2226 HKT) The incident took place in Kandahar city, in the south One of the attackers was shot dead before he detonated explosives Gen. John Allen cites strides in coping with the Taliban Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A suicide bombing in southern Afghanistan killed two children and injured eight people on Thursday, a government official said. The incident took place in the city of Kandahar, said Ahmad Javed Faisal -- spokesman for the Kandahar Media and Information Center Two suicide bombers also were killed, including one who was shot dead by police before he could detonate explosives. Two of the wounded people were police officers. Kandahar city is in the province of the same name, where a U.S. soldier is suspecting of killing 16 men, women and children. That incident and the U.S. mishandling of religious texts, including the Quran, has enraged Afghans. Coalition officials say Afghan and international forces have hurt the Taliban and are making strides in coping with the Taliban insurgency. "We remain on track to ensure that Afghanistan will no longer be a safe haven for al Qaeda and will no longer be terrorized by the Taliban," said Gen. John Allen, chief of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. He testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. Journalist Fazal Ahad contributed to this report