US soldiers 'stable' in Kabul

Security has been tightened in the Afghan capital

Two US soldiers and their Afghan interpreter are in a stable condition after a grenade was thrown at their vehicle in Kabul on Tuesday.

It was the first attack on Americans in the capital since the US began military operations in Afghanistan over a year ago.

US soldiers are a regular sight on Kabul streets

A US military spokeswoman said the three wounded had not sustained life-threatening injuries.

Captain Alayne Cramer said there would be no changes to security arrangements for American soldiers for the moment.

An investigation was underway and protocols may change depending on its findings, she added.

Both soldiers are from US special forces, working at the military training centre on the outskirts of Kabul where they have been training recruits to the Afghan national army.

No change

They were on a routine trip to the city centre when their unmarked jeep was attacked at dusk, less than a kilometre from the presidential palace.

Karzai (left) is seeking help from donors

Afghan authorities detained two young men at the scene, who told police they launched the attack because the Americans had occupied their country.

American authorities are involved in discussions with Afghanistan's interior ministry to decide whether the pair should be taken into American custody.

The attack came at a time while President Hamid Karzai was in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, to urge donors to continue their support for his country's economic and security programmes.

Securing peace

About 8,000 American soldiers are still in Afghanistan, most of them involved in the hunt for al-Qaeda and Taleban remnants in the south-east.

But more civil military officers are taking part in development projects, in an attempt, they say, to secure what peace does exist in the country.

Kabul has seen a number of blasts over the past year.

The most serious was a car bomb that went off in early September, and left 26 people dead and dozens more injured.

The capital is patrolled by nearly 4,700 troops from more than 20 countries who make up the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).