Kabul suicide car bombing kills at least 19

A suicide car bomb that targeted a Nato convoy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed at least 19 people, including foreign troops, police say.

The attack took place in the west of the city, close to the parliament and other government buildings, during the morning rush hour.

More than 50 people - mostly Afghan civilians - were hurt in the explosion.

Despite tight security in Kabul, the city has seen some high-profile attacks by Taliban militants in recent months.

The suicide bomber is reported to have been driving a car laden with explosives.

The Isaf (Nato-led) convoy was attacked at the Darulaman crossroads, according to officials.

Several other cars and a bus carrying Afghan civilians were also caught in the blast.

The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kabul says that, as is often the case in such attacks, Afghan civilians seem to have borne the brunt of the explosion.

There are unconfirmed reports that five foreign troops were also killed. There is no information yet on their identities. Our correspondent says this will only come out once their next of kin has been informed.

Eyewitness Obiadullah Saddiqyar was on his way into work when the bomb detonated. He described the scene as "totally chaotic".

He told the BBC: "I witnessed the bomb this morning at around 0815. I saw many people dead and many injured who were taken to hospital.

"Among the dead there were lots of women and girls - I heard later that they were students going to university. I also saw one of my colleagues full of blood in the back of a police car, also being taken to hospital," he said.

"This situation really made me cry for the bloodshed and the innocent people who were killed and injured."

An Isaf spokesman said an investigation was under way. No group has yet said that it carried out the attack.

Our correspondent says the police have set up extra checkpoints throughout the city this year, following a series of attacks by gunmen and bombers on government offices and hotels.

But it is impossible to stop and search every car that enters the city, so these attacks seem certain to continue, he says.

Major offensive

Afghan President Hamid Karzai described the attack as "heartbreaking".

"We are condemning the attack in the strongest terms. I hope Afghanistan will soon get out of this suffering, God willing," he said at a news conference broadcast on national television.

President Karzai has recently returned from a trip to Washington where he hoped to gather support for his policy of reconciliation with certain elements of the Taliban.

Afghan officials are also preparing for a "jirga", or a grand council, of tribal leaders, during which ways to promote peace in Afghanistan will be discussed.

Meanwhile a military offensive in the southern province of Kandahar, a key Taliban stronghold, is being planned.

Earlier this year Nato and Afghan forces launched a major offensive against militants entrenched in neighbouring Helmand province and security forces are still engaged in operations around Helmand.

Nato and the US have deployed thousands of extra troops in Afghanistan, where numbers are expected to peak at 150,000 in August under a strategy designed to bring a swift end to the long-running insurgency.