Suicide blast kills four outside US base

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance to a US base in eastern Afghanistan today, killing three of the country’s soldiers and one Afghan civilian, a US official said.

Initial reports indicated that the bomber was on foot and walked up to the first security gate outside of Forward Operating Base Bermel in Paktika province, said Major Christine Nelson-Chung, a US spokeswoman. She said that three Afghan soldiers and one civilian were killed, and that four Afghans were wounded.