U.S. soldier, 4 Afghans killed in Kabul suicide bombing

kabul, afghanistan -- A suicide car bomber attacked a U.S. military convoy Saturday on the road to Kabul’s airport, killing a soldier and four Afghans and sending flames shooting into the sky, officials said.

The force of the explosion -- on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan -- threw several vehicles on their side. Twelve people were wounded, the Health Ministry said.

The attack targeted U.S. troops responsible for training the Afghan military and police.

Lt. Col. David Johnson, a U.S. spokesman, said one American soldier died in the blast and one was wounded.

“There was an enormous explosion, the windows of my shop shattered,” said tailor Mohammed Isaq.

The suicide bombing was the third major attack in Kabul in a week. On Sept. 29, a bomber targeted an Afghan army bus, killing at least 30 people. A similar attack Tuesday against a police bus killed 12.

President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and said the violence is forced upon Afghanistan from abroad -- a reference to Pakistan, where many Taliban fighters are said to come from.