The bomber detonated a car laden with explosives during the rush hour in the west of Kabul on Tuesday. The attack took place near parliament and the ministry of water and energy. 12 local civilians and six foreign soldiers were killed. NATO confirmed that one of its convoys had been attacked and that five of the six troops belonging to the international force serving in Afghanistan killed in the attack were Americans.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said that most of the civilian victims were passengers in a bus passing the scene when the bomber blew up the car. President Hamid Karzai has condemned the attack as 'an act against all human and Islamic principles'.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen denounced the attack strongly too. He said the alliance remained 'committed to its mission to protect the Afghan people and to strengthen Afghanistan's ability to resist terrorism'.

Taliban vow more attacks

The Taliban have taken responsibility for the car bomb attack. A Taliban spokesman told Reuters news agency that they had used a van packed with 750 kg of explosives. The Islamists have also announced they plan to step up their offensive in response to NATO's plans to launch an offensive on the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar this summer.

Separately, in the eastern province of Paktika, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a local government building after police opened fire on him. The Interior Ministry said one police officer was killed in the incident.

Karzai's US trip

Meanwhile Afghan President Hamid Karzai has held a news conference, following his recent trip to Washington. Speaking to reporters he described his visit to the United States as very successful and said that relations between United States and Afghanistan had been strengthened.

He said the upcoming peace jirga had the support of the US and that many doubts about the Afghan government's reconciliation policy were cleared up during his visit. The peace jirga, a grand council, is likely to begin on May 29. The three-day event aims to bring together leaders and tribal elders from across Afghanistan to discuss how to make peace with the insurgents.

du/AFP/Reuters/AP/dpa
Editor: Grahame Lucas