Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills Eight Civilians

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber targeting a NATO convoy killed eight Afghan civilians and wounded about two dozen others on yesterday, authorities said.

Three Canadian soldiers were slightly wounded in the blast, according to military officials.

The attack, in a crowded district of Kandahar city, was part of a pattern of suicide bombings carried out by insurgents against coalition forces. The strike was typical in that it killed civilian bystanders rather than soldiers, who patrol the city only in heavily armored vehicles.

Three of those killed were children, the Interior Ministry said. Of the Afghans injured, two were policemen, according to the provincial police chief, Sayde Agha Sapib.

Suicide bombings, together with roadside bombs, are a favored tactic of the insurgents, particularly in southern Afghanistan, where conflict has been intensifying. Last year saw nearly 150 suicide attacks nationwide, the largest number since the toppling of the Taliban movement in 2001.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force condemned the attack and said its troops had cordoned off the area and provided aid to the injured, airlifting some to its nearby base for treatment.