'17 civilians killed' in Afghan bombing

A suicide car bomber killed 17 civilians in an attack on Nato forces in southern Afghanistan today, police said.

A suicide car bomber killed 17 civilians in an attack on Nato forces in southern Afghanistan today, police said.

The attack happened at a bazaar of the Deh Rawud district of Uruzgan, and schoolchildren were among those killed, a police chief said, adding that 30 people were wounded.

A Nato spokeswoman said six Afghan civilians were killed and 13 wounded. Seven soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force were also hurt.

Taliban insurgents have stepped up the number of suicide attacks against the nearly 50,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan this year after suffering heavy casualties in conventional attacks.

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Some 6,000 people have been killed, including 1,500 civilians, in Afghanistan in the last 18 months.