Suicide bomber targets US convoy in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber drove up to an American convoy in eastern Afghanistan and blew himself up today, leaving one Afghan civilian dead and two others wounded, police said.

The car bomber targeted the American convoy on a busy highway outside Khost city, said acting deputy police chief Gen. Sakhi Mir.

Maj. Dominic Whyte, a spokesman for Nato’s International Security Assistance Force, said there were no dead or wounded among the troops in the incident.

Taliban militants have exploded more than 100 suicide bombs in the country this year, a more than fivefold increase from 2005, often targeting Nato forces in armoured personnel carriers and jeeps.

In the south, Kandahar governor Asadullah Khalid said that 30 Taliban were killed by air strikes during a four-day joint operation by Nato forces and the Afghan army and police.

The operation in Kandahar’s neighbouring districts, Panjwayi and Zadi, ended on Friday, Khalid said, adding that three group commanders were among the 30 killed.