A suicide car bomber attacked a US base in Kabul today wounding 14 people, including eight Americans.

BOMB blasts killed four US marines in southern Afghanistan, where thousands of American troops have deployed in recent weeks as part of an offensive in the country’s dangerous drug-producing region, an official said yesterday.

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up next to a police patrol in southern Afghanistan today, killing 24 people, while a two-day battle sparked by an insurgent attack killed at least 40 militants, officials said.

A suicide bombing and other attacks on Afghan police have left 10 officers dead and 10 others wounded.

A US-led coalition helicopter crashed in southeastern Afghanistan today after reporting engine failure.

A clash between insurgents and Nato-led troops in eastern Afghanistan left three soldiers wounded, an alliance spokesman said.

Suicide bombers struck in Afghanistan’s two main cities today, killing three civilians and wounding six, while seven suspected militants died in fighting with coalition and Nato forces in outlying provinces.

A Russian-made helicopter crashed in bad weather in the eastern Afghan mountains yesterday, killing all 16 on board, including at least two American civilians and two Dutch military officers, officials said today.

A roadside bomb along a busy Kabul road killed two Afghans today as fighting in the eastern provinces left a US-led coalition soldier and seven suspected Taliban dead, officials said.

Fighting in eastern Afghanistan left one US-led coalition soldier and seven suspected Taliban dead, the coalition said today.

Coalition forces attacked a Taliban safe house and killed 14 militants today in eastern Afghanistan, the military said.

A rocket exploded in the middle of a packed school in eastern Afghanistan today. Six children were killed and 14 other people wounded, police said.

A US-led Chinook helicopter was destroyed by a fire that broke out as it made a “hard landing” with six crew and 25 Afghan troops on board, the US military said today. No one was hurt.

Intense fighting has been reported around the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, with the opposition Northern Alliance claiming to have advanced further towards the strategic city.