Bomb explodes outside U.S. base, kills 9 Afghans

Published 10:45 pm Monday, August 18, 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan official says a suicide bombing outside a U.S.-base in eastern Afghanistan has killed nine Afghans and wounded 13 others.

Arsallah Jamal, the governor of Khost province, says the attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the gates of the military base in the city of Khost today.

He says victims were Afghan laborers waiting to get inside the base.

The U.S. military says the explosion did not penetrate the base’s perimeter.

Jamal says a second attacker tried to ram police officers investigating the first blast, but was shot dead by officers.

Militants regularly use suicide attacks against Afghan and international forces. The majority of victims in such attacks are civilians.