MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, March 22 (Reuters) - An Afghan district governor was killed in the north of the country on Saturday in a knife attack provincial officials blamed on Taliban insurgents.

Afghan officials have often been the target of Taliban attacks since the U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the hardline Islamist movement in late 2001.

Karim Rokai, the governor of Khanaqa district in Jowzjan province, was killed in a knife attack, said provincial spokesman Mahbobollah Zari.

He said the Taliban were responsible and an investigation was underway to try and track down the insurgents.

Taliban insurgents planted dozens of roadside bombs last year, launched more than 140 suicide attacks and targeted dozens of government officials in their campaign to overthrow the pro-Western government and eject the 50,000 foreign troops from the country.

Taliban fighters are mainly active in the ethnic Pashtun south and east of Afghanistan, while most of the mainly Tajik north has escaped the worst of the violence.

Last year was the most violent in Afghanistan since 2001, with more than 6,000 killed, nearly 2,000 of them civilians. (Reporting by Tahir Qadiry; Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by David Fox)

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