Afghanistan suicide bomber kills nine troops | World news

• Saturday 16 April 2011 12.04 BST

• Article history

 

Nato and Afghan forces descend after a suicide bombing killed the police chief of Kandahar province. Photograph: Ahmad Nadeem/Reuters

A suicide bombing at a military base in eastern Afghanistan has killed five foreign and four Afghan soldiers.

 

A bomber wearing a military uniform struck inside the base near the city of Jalalabad, the Afghan defence ministry said.

 

The blast took place shortly after 7.30am Afghan time and represents the biggest recent killing of Nato troops from a single attack.

 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an email that the bomber was from central Daikondi province, had enlisted with the Afghan army a month ago and detonated his explosives at a meeting between Afghan and foreign troops.

 

Reuters reported the Afghan defence ministry was investigating whether the attacker was a disguised Taliban fighter or an Afghan soldier.

 

Coalition officials in Afghanistan confirmed five foreign troops died but did not give their nationalities.

 

The bombing is the third attack in a few days blamed on the Taliban. The first killed a tribal elder closely linked to President Hamid Karzai, while on Friday the police chief of the southern province of Kandahar was killed.

 

More than 120 foreign soldiers have died this year in Afghanistan.