Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a minibus carrying Afghan soldiers south of Kabul on Wednesday, leaving at least 12 people killed and seven others wounded, officials and witnesses said.

Separately, NATO-led force said one of its soldiers was killed and two others were wounded in an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a defense ministry spokesman, said that six soldiers and six civilians were killed in the suicide blast and that seven other soldiers were wounded. An unknown number of civilians were also wounded in the attack, Azimi said.

The bomber was in a Toyota Corolla that struck a minibus full of soldiers in the Chihulsutoon area south of Kabul, said Aziz Ahmad, an Afghan army officer at the site of the blast.

The blast was third suicide attack in the city in the last eight days.

The minibus was demolished and its mangled frame lay on the side of the road as the wounded were whisked to hospitals.

Local resident Amir Mohammad said he helped load the bodies of the six slain Afghan soldiers into ambulances.

Mohammad Amin, who runs a bakery close to the blast site, said two of his employees were wounded by flying glass.

"Every day this bus stops in front of my bakery to take employees of defense ministry," Amin said. "Suddenly today a very strong explosion hit the bus," Amin said.

Mohammad Ashraf, 13-year-old boy, was praying inside the mosque when the flying shrapnel and glass cut through his flesh, his father Mohammad Akram said.

"My other 8-year old son was also wounded in the same mosque," Akram said.

In southern Afghanistan, an explosion struck a patrol of NATO-led troops on Tuesday, leaving one soldier killed and two others wounded, the alliance said in a statement.

The wounded soldiers were not in a life-threatening situation, the statement said.

NATO did not disclose the nationalities of the dead and wounded soldiers or the exact location of the attack.

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Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a minibus carrying Afghan soldiers south of Kabul on Wednesday, leaving at least 12 people killed and seven others wounded, officials and witnesses said.

Separately, NATO-led force said one of its soldiers was killed and two others were wounded in an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a defense ministry spokesman, said that six soldiers and six civilians were killed in the suicide blast and that seven other soldiers were wounded. An unknown number of civilians were also wounded in the attack, Azimi said.

The bomber was in a Toyota Corolla that struck a minibus full of soldiers in the Chihulsutoon area south of Kabul, said Aziz Ahmad, an Afghan army officer at the site of the blast.

The blast was third suicide attack in the city in the last eight days.

The minibus was demolished and its mangled frame lay on the side of the road as the wounded were whisked to hospitals.

Local resident Amir Mohammad said he helped load the bodies of the six slain Afghan soldiers into ambulances.

Mohammad Amin, who runs a bakery close to the blast site, said two of his employees were wounded by flying glass.

"Every day this bus stops in front of my bakery to take employees of defense ministry," Amin said. "Suddenly today a very strong explosion hit the bus," Amin said.

Mohammad Ashraf, 13-year-old boy, was praying inside the mosque when the flying shrapnel and glass cut through his flesh, his father Mohammad Akram said.

"My other 8-year old son was also wounded in the same mosque," Akram said.

In southern Afghanistan, an explosion struck a patrol of NATO-led troops on Tuesday, leaving one soldier killed and two others wounded, the alliance said in a statement.

The wounded soldiers were not in a life-threatening situation, the statement said.

NATO did not disclose the nationalities of the dead and wounded soldiers or the exact location of the attack.

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Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a minibus carrying Afghan soldiers south of Kabul on Wednesday, leaving at least 12 people killed and seven others wounded, officials and witnesses said.

Separately, NATO-led force said one of its soldiers was killed and two others were wounded in an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a defense ministry spokesman, said that six soldiers and six civilians were killed in the suicide blast and that seven other soldiers were wounded. An unknown number of civilians were also wounded in the attack, Azimi said.

The bomber was in a Toyota Corolla that struck a minibus full of soldiers in the Chihulsutoon area south of Kabul, said Aziz Ahmad, an Afghan army officer at the site of the blast.

The blast was third suicide attack in the city in the last eight days.

The minibus was demolished and its mangled frame lay on the side of the road as the wounded were whisked to hospitals.

Local resident Amir Mohammad said he helped load the bodies of the six slain Afghan soldiers into ambulances.

Mohammad Amin, who runs a bakery close to the blast site, said two of his employees were wounded by flying glass.

"Every day this bus stops in front of my bakery to take employees of defense ministry," Amin said. "Suddenly today a very strong explosion hit the bus," Amin said.

Mohammad Ashraf, 13-year-old boy, was praying inside the mosque when the flying shrapnel and glass cut through his flesh, his father Mohammad Akram said.

"My other 8-year old son was also wounded in the same mosque," Akram said.

In southern Afghanistan, an explosion struck a patrol of NATO-led troops on Tuesday, leaving one soldier killed and two others wounded, the alliance said in a statement.

The wounded soldiers were not in a life-threatening situation, the statement said.

NATO did not disclose the nationalities of the dead and wounded soldiers or the exact location of the attack.

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Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.