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Last Updated: Monday, 19 November 2007, 13:24 GMT
Afghan suicide attack kills seven
A suicide bombing targeting an Afghan provincial governor has killed his son and six bodyguards, officials say.

The governor of south-western Nimroz province Ghulam Dastageer was on his way to his office when he was attacked. He escaped unhurt.

The Taleban said they carried out the attack in which at least 15 people were injured, including four civilians.

Meanwhile, in Kabul, Afghan soldiers say they have foiled a suicide attack targeting a bus carrying soldiers.

'Civilians wounded'

Officials said the attacker in Nimroz detonated the explosives strapped to his body just as people were coming to work.

Governor Dastageer had moved inside the building housing his office shortly before the blast.

The explosives-laden waistcoat is displayed by the police in Kabul
Kabul police show off the would-be bomber's vest of explosives

"Just as I got into my office today [Monday], there was a suicide attack outside the compound. Apparently I was the target of the suicide attacker," Governor Dastageer was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

Provincial police chief Mohammad Daud Askaryar said four of the wounded were civilians.

"The attack was aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear in our province," AFP quoted him as saying.

The Taleban said 30 police officers had been killed or injured, and five police cars were destroyed.

They denied there had been any civilian casualties.

Violence, often blamed on Taleban militants, has been rising in Afghanistan recently although Nimroz has been relatively peaceful.

'Pakistani bomber'

In Kabul, meanwhile, Afghan soldiers said they had stopped a suicide bomber from detonating his explosives.

The man was apparently trying to board an army commuter bus, but soldiers became suspicious because he was not wearing a uniform or carrying army identification.

He was holding a mobile phone in one hand and a remote control in the other but dropped them when he was pushed off the bus, officials said.

Two police officers seized hold of him and took him into custody.

Two of the worst suicide attacks in Kabul this year have targeted army buses - in all, around 65 people were killed.

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