Nine killed in Afghan blast

JALALABAD: Five international troops and four Afghan soldiers died in a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban at the Afghan army's headquarters in the war-torn country's east, officials said.

The attack is the worst single incident since December against foreign forces in Afghanistan, and comes amid a wave of suicide attacks on security targets, three months before foreign forces are to start a limited pullback.

It was carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an Afghan army uniform at the base in the Gambiri desert area in Laghman province, near Jalalabad city, the de facto capital of Afghanistan's east.

"Five International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today," ISAF said in a statement. ISAF spokesman Major Tim James confirmed that the deaths came in an attack on the Afghan army base in Laghman province, but could not comment on the nationalities of those killed.

Separately, Afghanistan's defence ministry said that four Afghan army personnel were killed and eight people were wounded, including four translators. It added that a man wearing an Afghan army uniform carried out the attack.

"Four dead bodies and eight wounded were brought to our hospital," said provincial hospital head Baz Mohammad Shairzad.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to AFP.