At least four Afghans were killed and four U.S. troops lightly wounded when a car bomber attacked a U.S. military convoy in Kabul on Friday, officials said.
The blast, which was claimed by the Taliban, occurred around 8:40 am (0410 GMT) when an explosives-laden vehicle drove into the convoy that was travelling in eastern Kabul, according to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.
"Unfortunately in the attack, four of our countrymen were martyred and three others wounded — they were passers-by," Rahimi said.
Bob Purtiman, Public Affairs officer with the U.S. military in Kabul, said four service members also received minor injuries when the suicide bomber struck the convoy. The one-line statement did not elaborate.
The suicide bomber struck as a U.S. convoy was passing through Kabul's eastern Yakatot neighborhood, where U.S. and NATO forces maintain complexes. Facilities operated by the Afghan National Security Forces are also located in the same area.
Witnesses said the explosion was powerful, blowing out windows in neighboring buildings. Traffic on the streets was light because the bombing occurred on a Friday, the weekly day off.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the attack, which he claimed to have killed "10 officers and soldiers of invading forces".
The Taliban frequently exaggerate claims after attacks.
On Thursday, six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan army academy and training center, also in the same area but several kilometers (miles) away from Friday's explosion.
The Interior Ministry on Thursday said a soldier had noticed a suspicious person, and as he approached him the attacker detonated his explosives near the academy. The soldier's action likely saved lives.
Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces come under near daily assaults. While the Afghan Defense Ministry no longer releases casualty figures for its troops, the estimate is as many as 50 Afghan security personnel die each day in Afghanistan.