At least six civilians were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked a NATO convoy in Afghanistan capital Kabul on Thursday, media reports citing local officials said.
Those killed in the explosion that reportedly happened in Kabul's eastern industrial district of Karta-e Naw included two children. More than 30 people were also injured in the powerful blast, officials said.
Media reports citing local residents said a Toyota Corolla car exploded near a convoy of two foreign military vehicles at about 08:00 a.m. local time. The explosion also caused extensive damage to nearby buildings.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed that one of its convoys was hit by the explosion in Karta-e Naw, but did not disclose whether it suffered any casualties.
Notably, the ISAF had announced earlier in the day that one of its soldiers had died of injuries sustained in an IED attack by insurgents in the war-torn country's south. The attack on Monday had killed three ISAF soldiers instantly.
Currently, the ISAF is making serious efforts to ensure that the Afghan security forces are capable of handling the country's security ahead of the planned withdrawal of all coalition troops from the country by end of 2014. However, there are wide concerns about the ability of Afghan forces to counter Taliban insurgency without the same level of foreign military assistance and presence.
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