Peacekeepers escape Kabul blast

A man blew himself up with a grenade outside a peacekeepers’ base in Kabul, the Afghan capital, today injuring several people.

Members of the multinational force were not among those hurt, officials said.

A second man was arrested. He was found with grenades, but was intercepted before he could explode them, said Abdul Raouf Taj, division police chief.

The explosion occurred outside Camp Warehouse, six miles from the city centre, that houses many German peacekeepers.

Police said the man exploded his grenade when an attempt was made to search him.

Security had been stepped up in Kabul following a grenade attack on Tuesday that injured two US special forces soldiers and their Afghan interpreter.

Two Afghans are in custody in connection with that grenade attack. They said they did it because they don’t want Americans in Afghanistan.

Interior Minister Taj Mohammed Wardak said al-Qaida was behind the grenade attack, although he didn’t provide any evidence.

About 4,800 peacekeepers patrol the streets of the capital.