☰

Global

Suicide blast kills 2 U.S. soldiers outside Kabul


    KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber hit a U.S. military convoy on the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Wednesday and killed two American soldiers, officials said.

    The incident, part of the worst spell of violence in Afghanistan since the Taliban's ouster more than seven years ago, happened on a road leading to Bagram airfield, to the north of Kabul. Bagram is the key base for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan.

    A spokesman for NATO said the target of the blast was a U.S. military convoy and the two victims were American soldiers.

    An Afghan police source, speaking on condition he not be identified, said at least one vehicle in the convoy was destroyed, but he could not say if the bomber was on foot or had used a car.

    Despite a fresh surge of foreign troops, violence is escalating in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads to other parts of the rugged countryside from the harline Islamist group's traditional base of support in the south and east.

    The Taliban rely on suicide attacks and roadside bombs as a major part of their campaign to drive out foreign forces.

    (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by Bill Tarrant)