Deadly blast strikes near Kabul airport

At least one civilian was killed in the suicide bombing early on Monday, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Minister Sediq Sediqqi said in a Twitter post.

The initial information suggests that the attack targeted a foreign forces convoy, according to the AFP news agency. A Reuters source from the scene indicated that the bomber used a suicide vest instead of a car bomb to attack a pickup truck.

"The bombing occurred near Kabul airport... We are finding out more details," Kabul deputy police chief Gul Agha Rohani told the AFP news agency.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsiblity for the attack, saying the target was foreign forces. He claimed that "several invading forces were killed or wounded," although the Taliban are known to exaggerate battlefield claims.

Only a week ago, six US soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorbike laden with explosives rammed into them near Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan.

The attack comes at a time of renewed attempts at negotiations with the Taliban.

dj/msh (Reuters, AFP)