Kabul, Afghanistan ? The United States said Monday it was giving $2 billion worth of military weapons and vehicles to modernize Afghanistan’s national army as the fledgling force contends with a resurgent Taliban resistance.

In a deadly reminder, a suicide attacker hit a checkpoint in southern Kandahar city, killing himself and a policeman and injuring six others. The blast occurred around 8:30 p.m. at a checkpoint near the governor’s guesthouse, said police commander Agha Lala.

More than 10,000 Afghan and coalition troops have been deployed in the south to hunt them down in a massive military campaign billed as the largest since the Taliban regime were ousted in 2001.

At the ceremony in Kabul, Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin said the military donation was in addition to the more than $2 billion the United States has already committed for military equipment and facilities to Afghanistan.

“The equipment on display today represents an additional $2 billion that the U.S. alone will provide … to continue with the equipping and building of the proper facilities and (to) continue to enhance the Afghan National Army to build toward the 70,000 force,” he said.