HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) -- A suicide car bomber targeted a convoy of foreign troops in Afghanistan's western Herat Province, wounding one U.S. soldier and two Afghan civilians, a provincial official has said.
Violence has surged sharply this year in Afghanistan, the bloodiest period since the Taliban's ouster in 2001, sparking fear the country may slide back into anarchy despite the increasing numbers of foreign troops.
The attack hit the convoy as it was coming out of Herat's airport, said security officer Qadir Agha, adding that two vehicles in the convoy were damaged.
Both NATO and the U.S.-led troops operate in Herat, which has faced a number of attacks by the Taliban this year.
Separately, U.S.-led coalition forces killed 11 Taliban insurgents and detained two more in an operation aimed in the southern province of Kandahar on December 25, the U.S. military said in a statement.
One Afghan woman was also wounded in the leg during the operation, it added. The Taliban could not be reached for comment.
Violence has surged sharply this year in Afghanistan, the bloodiest period since the Taliban's ouster in 2001, sparking fear the country may slide back into anarchy despite the increasing numbers of foreign troops.
The attack hit the convoy as it was coming out of Herat's airport, said security officer Qadir Agha, adding that two vehicles in the convoy were damaged.
Both NATO and the U.S.-led troops operate in Herat, which has faced a number of attacks by the Taliban this year.
Separately, U.S.-led coalition forces killed 11 Taliban insurgents and detained two more in an operation aimed in the southern province of Kandahar on December 25, the U.S. military said in a statement.
One Afghan woman was also wounded in the leg during the operation, it added. The Taliban could not be reached for comment.
