Kabul suicide attack on British embassy car

A suicide bomber attacked a British embassy vehicle in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Thursday, killing and wounding a number of civilians, officials said.

The administrative head of Kabul hospitals, Kabir Amiri, told the Associated Press news agency that at least five civilians died and more than 30 were injured in the attack, the responsibility for which was claimed by the Taliban in a brief statement.

An Interior Ministry statement said one British citizen was among the dead.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a text message that the attack "targeted foreign invading forces."

An embassy spokesman confirmed the attack, saying some people in the vehicle were wounded, but that no British diplomats were in the car at the time of the blast.

Afghan deputy interior minister Ayub Salangi said the bomber was riding a motorcycle.

Escalation in attacks

The area in eastern Kabul where the blast took place is home to many foreign compounds and international military facilities.

The incident comes as insurgents step up their attacks on local security forces and US and NATO troops, with foreign forces set to officially conclude their combat operations in the country by the end of the year.

Another bombing in Kabul on Monday claimed the lives of two US soldiers as they were traveling in their vehicle.

In one of the largest attacks to date, suicide bombers on Sunday killed 57 people at a volleyball match in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika.

tj/kms (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)