Car Bomb Hits Near NATO Base In Afghanistan

A suicide car bomber struck outside a NATO base in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Khost today.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said one civilian was killed and two privately employed guards were wounded.

The attack happened outside a base where in December a Jordanian infiltrator blew himself up, killing seven CIA agents.

A spokesman for the Taliban claimed responsibility for today's attack.

Khost lies near Pakistan's tribal belt, a known refuge of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

In a separate incident, the Interior Ministry said eight civilians were killed and more than a dozen wounded when a roadside bomb hit a van packed with passengers late on May 2 in nearby Paktia Province.

compiled from agency reports