Suicide bomber kills two in Kabul

BBC News – A suicide bomber has killed two people and injured at least four others in the Afghan capital, Kabul, police say. The bomber, who was riding a motorbike, blew himself up next to highway police guarding a road construction project.

Nato said a separate bomb blast in the north-west killed a civilian and a Finnish soldier. Two Norwegian troops patrolling with him were injured.

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of suicide attacks and bombings in the country in recent months.

Possible target

The motorbike-borne bomber struck on the Jalalabad Road in Kabul – an area used by the military and security companies and which has seen the largest number of attacks in Kabul.

A policeman believed to have been guarding a road building project was killed along with a civilian passer-by, police say.

Among those hurt in the blast was a security contractor working for the British embassy. He was not seriously injured.

It is thought the armoured vehicle he was driving may have been the target of the bomber. A spokesman for the embassy said none of their staff were in the car and there was no reason to believe the UK mission in particular was singled out in the attack.

A Taleban spokesman has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Kabul says the number of roadside and suicide bombings has increased dramatically over the past couple of weeks, with people being killed and injured across the country, including in the relatively peaceful north.

Our correspondent says there is a fear these attacks will become more frequent as the insurgents step up operations as the weather has now improved after winter.