Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Suicide bomb kills Afghan near US embassy

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-27 14:13

KABUL - A suicide car bomber struck a convoy of foreign troops near the US embassy in Kabul on Thursday, killing one civilian and wounding six, the head of the Afghan capital's police force said.

All staff at the US embassy were safe and accounted for, a spokesman said, with most off work for the Thanksgiving public holiday.

After a string of suicide attacks in Kabul last year and this year, including a July attack on the Indian embassy that killed 58 people, police have blocked off a number of roads in the capital and introduced more security checks.

While violence has steadily increased across the rest of the country, there have been fewer attacks in Kabul this year, though those that have occurred have struck more high-profile targets.

"It was 8:30 (0400 GMT) this morning when a suicide car bomb blew up here," said Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi.

"One civilian was killed and six others were wounded. We evacuated the wounded to the hospital. The attack happened while a military convoy was passing."

The attack happened on a road, some 150 metres (yards) from a traffic junction with access to the US embassy and the Health Ministry. No one from the embassy was hurt.

"All embassy staff are accounted for," said US embassy spokesman Mark Stroh. Most embassy staff were off work for the US Thanksgiving public holiday.

Spokesmen for international troops confirmed the blast, but were unable to provide any details.