'Six dead' in Afghan bomb blast

The blast is the latest in a series of attacks in Kandahar since 2001

At least six people have been killed and 40 wounded in a bomb blast in the Afghan city of Kandahar, officials say.

A brother of President Hamid Karzai was in one of the government buildings targeted but was not injured.

Ahmed Wali Karzai was chairing a meeting when a bomb-filled fuel tanker exploded close to the building.

He and other officials blamed Taleban militants for the bombing. No group has claimed the attack and there has been no word from the Taleban.

President Karzai has strongly condemned the blast, describing it as a "ruthless act by the enemies of peace and prosperity".

Kandahar provincial governor Rahmatullah Raufi said the Taleban wanted to disrupt law and order in the area.

'Cowardly act'

Large parts of the Kandahar Provincial Council building in the centre of the city were destroyed along with nearby offices.

Officials say that among the dead were two intelligence agents, one police officer and three civilians.

The bomb left a crater some 5m (15ft) deep, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.

The blast happened as the provincial council was hearing constituents' complaints in Kandahar, which is the birthplace of the Taleban movement.

Speaking to the BBC, Ahmed Wali Karzai blamed the Taleban for the attack, calling it a "cowardly act".

"I am fine and safe," he said after the explosion.

He also warned that he would not be frightened away.

'Trapped'

In 2003, Mr Karzai's house in the city was hit by an explosion which he said was caused accidentally when some weapons were being moved.

In the latest incident, doctors told the AFP news agency that the bodies of three people, one a woman, were taken to the city's main hospital. They say that most of the wounded have "superficial injuries".

Ahmed Wali Karzai escaped unhurt

A teenager who lives in the area where the bomb went off told AFP that the roofs of two houses had collapsed and some people may have been trapped under the rubble.

Correspondents say that the city of Kandahar has been hit by several bomb attacks, mostly blamed on the Taleban, since they were removed from power in 2001.

In mid-June, a suicide bomber in a fuel truck smashed into the gates of Kandahar prison enabling militants to storm the building. Police said that about 300 militants were among those who escaped.

In September, two explosions targeted a police station, killing at least two policemen.