US soldiers keep watch near the wreckage of their vehicle at the site of the Taliban suicide attack [AFP]
A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into a convoy of foreign forces on Wednesday in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, officials said.
“At around noon a car bomb targeted a convoy of foreign forces in Daman area of Kandahar,” said provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani.
NATO confirmed in a statement that the convoy was attacked and did “cause casualties”.
Resolute Support did not identify the nationality of the troops attacked, nor if they were killed or injured.
Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it took place near an Afghan intelligence quick reaction force base in the Shor Andam area of Daman district.
Eyewitnesses said two foreign vehicles in the area were on fire.
“The Taliban are very active in that area, and for the past few days there has been a lot of fighting between the group and the Afghan security forces,” said Al Jazeera’s Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul.
“There is a lot of concern here about the growing violence in the country and anger [with people] wondering why the Afghan government cannot protect its people.”
The combined US and NATO troop contingent currently in Afghanistan is about 13,500 troops.
The Trump administration is deciding whether to send about 4,000 or more US soldiers to Afghanistan in an attempt to stem Taliban gains.
The attack came as Afghan authorities in western Herat province tightened security ahead of a mass funeral for the victims there of an attack on Wednesday that killed 29 and left 64 people wounded, 10 of whom are in a critical condition.
A suicide attacker opened fire inside a mosque packed with worshippers at evening prayers, before detonating his explosives.
No one has claimed responsibility for that attack.
