A suicide bomber on a bicycle struck a bustling street in the afghan capital, killing three people and wounding dozens more two days ahead of a major international conference.
The blast shattered windows, gutted nearby vehicles and left the street littered.
NATO and Afghan security forces are stepping up security in Kabul to guard against possible attacks in the lead-up, to what has been billed one of the biggest international meetings in the city. Up to 70 international representatives are due to attend the conference, to be co-chaired by President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Intelligence agents had been deployed "in vulnerable areas" to thwart any Taliban attack plans. Kabul's airport is expected to be closed on Monday and Tuesday with most conference delegates arriving by private or government jet for just one day. Meanwhile, a foreign soldier killed following a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan. The death brings to 378 the number of foreign soldiers to have died in the afghan war so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by the independent casualties.
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