Taliban suicide attack kills two in Kabul

Kabul, Nov 21: A suicide bomber blew himself up near a NATO base in Kabul's diplomatic district today, hitting a military vehicle and killing two people.

The Taliban, the leaders of an insurgency against US-led troops and the Afghan government, claimed responsibility, saying the target was a CIA office.

The blast was heard across the capital's diplomatic district, prompting the US embassy to sound its "duck and cover" alarm.

"It appears that an ISAF vehicle was damaged as a result of the attack," a spokesman for the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told the news agency.

"There is no indication of ISAF casualties. All ISAF bases in the green zone are secure." An AFP photographer saw three bodies, including that of the bomber, near Camp Eggers, a major NATO military base in the zone.

"It was a suicide attack. Two people were killed -one was a security guard the other was a civilian. Another person was wounded," interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told the news agency.

Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said the bomber, who was wearing a security guard's uniform and was carrying an automatic rifle and grenades, came under fire but managed to detonate his explosives.

The Taliban said in a text message to the news agency that "a large number of fedayeen (suicide bombers) armed with light and heavy weapons attacked an important office of the CIA in the centre of Kabul and the fighting is continuing".

"The enemy has suffered heavy losses but a precise number can't be determined at this time."

The Islamists are known to exaggerate claims in their insurgency against the government of President Hamid Karzai, which is backed by more than 100,000 NATO troops.

Suicide attacks are a Taliban trademark, along with roadside bombs.

While the fighting is concentrated in the south and east of the country, Kabul has been hit by a series of deadly suicide and commando-style insurgent attacks this year.