Suicide bomb kills Afghan troops

Afghan troops are often targeted by the Taleban

A suicide bomber has blown himself up in eastern Afghanistan, killing four Afghan soldiers and a child, government officials say.

Four troops were wounded in the attack, which took place in Khost province.

The bomber blew himself up as an army convoy slowed to pass a pothole-riddled section of the road, officials said.

Suicide bombers frequently target Afghan and foreign troops fighting Taleban insurgents in the south and east of the country.

Officials say the attack took place 12km (eight miles) west of Khost city.

Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told reporters that his group was responsible for the attack.

Stepped up

Correspondents say that the Taleban-led insurgency has killed more than 1,200 people - mostly militants - so far this year.

Taleban insurgents carried out more than 140 suicide bombings in 2007 and have vowed to step up such attacks this year.

Correspondents say that the militants often target Afghan and international security forces as part of their effort to topple the pro-Western Afghan government and drive foreign troops out of the country.

In other violence, Afghanistan's deputy police chief Abdul Sabor Allayer told the Associated Press news agency that a rocket hit a schoolyard on Wednesday in Asmor district, killing one student and wounding four others.

He said the victims were between eight and 14 years old.

The UN children's fund, Unicef, says there were 236 school-related attacks last year, as the militants tried to close schools and forced teenage boys to join the Islamic militia.

Meanwhile, a US general leading efforts to build and train local forces has said that the Afghan army will need international air support in combat operations for another five years.

Maj-Gen Robert Cone said such support would have to continue until the Afghan air force became fully operational, probably in 2013.

The general, speaking in Brussels, said the Afghan army now numbered about 57,000 troops, with 9,000 others in training.

He said that it remained on course to increase the strength to 80,000 personnel by early next year.