Kabul bomb deaths rise to three

The blast scene, Chicken St, is Kabul's most famous shopping area

Three people are now known to have died in a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday.

An American woman translator died of her wounds, in addition to an Afghan girl, aged 11, and the bomber.

A spokesman for the Taleban said it carried out the attack, in which several Nato peacekeepers received minor injuries.

The bomber detonated hand grenades as he approached soldiers in a busy shopping street, witnesses said.

The attack, in Kabul's best-known shopping area, Chicken Street, was the most serious in the capital since presidential elections were held on 9 October.

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Afghanistan

Relatives in the US of 23-year-old Jamie Michalsky, a former US army reservist, said she had died in the attack.

They said she had travelled from work in Uzbekistan to receive treatment for a hand injury.

The Afghan girl died late on Saturday night.

Vote count

The attack happened at about 1530 local time (1100 GMT) on Saturday.

Witnesses say a man approached several soldiers who had parked their vehicle outside a carpet shop.

The blast came as election counting neared completion

He then detonated several hand grenades he was carrying, killing himself in the blast.

The ground and the carpet shop were spattered with blood.

The injured peacekeepers are believed to be from Iceland.

Taleban spokesman Mufti Latifullah Hakimi told Reuters news agency: "The Taleban takes responsibility for the suicide attack in Kabul... We plan more attacks."

The BBC's Andrew North says this was the first suicide bombing in the Afghan capital since January.

He says there are concerns that this marks the start of new campaign of violence in Kabul by anti-government militants, after the relatively peaceful presidential elections.

On Sunday, with 81.1% of votes counted, Hamid Karzai had 55% of the votes, 38 points ahead of his nearest rival Yunus Qanuni.

Mr Karzai needs just over 50% to avoid a run-off.