Afghan bomber hits Nato convoy

An attack by a Taliban suicide bomber on a Nato convoy has wounded 22 civilians in the Afghan capital. The bomber rammed the convoy in Kabul on Tuesday, with the Taliban describing the attack as a welcome for Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, who is visiting the country.

The blast did not injure any of the targeted Nato troops, who were travelling to the airport. A government bus was hit. Sergeant Deitir Baumann of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said that the injured civilians were on their way to Kabul hospital.

Gates was unaffected and was not in the convoy, although he did drive by the scene two hours later, a Western official speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity said. The interior ministry said that the "bomber wanted to target the foreign forces, but did not succeed. He exploded shortly before they passed".

Rush hour attack

Nazanine Moshiri, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said: "The suicide bomber was targeting Nato forces. But as is often the case here in Afghanistan, it is the civilians that get caught up in these kinds of attacks.