The soldiers were members of an international peacekeeping force who have been patrolling the country since the fall of the Taleban.

The Taleban were forced to give up power in the country in the war against terror in 2001.

They were attacked because they failed to give up September 11 suspect Osama Bin Laden, who was hiding in their country.

The explosion happened in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Afghan police said a bomber had driven a taxi filled with explosives into a bus carrying the soldiers.

Dozens of people were hurt. The road was closed and a helicopter was sent to help get the injured people to hospital.

The bus was carrying 33 peacekeepers, who were returning to Germany after spending six months working in Afghanistan.

It is not yet known who was responsible for the blast, but some local officials think it was planned by members of the Taleban or Bin Laden's terror organisation al-Qaeda.

About 5,000 international peacekeepers have been sent to Kabul to make the local people feel safer.