A suicide bombing killed 27 personnel from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and injured 21 others in western Kabul on Saturday morning, a press officer from the defense ministry told Xinhua.

The casualties included soldiers, officials and employees working for the ANA, the officer said anonymously. There was no immediate information about the casualties of civilians.

A Xinhua reporter saw an ANA bus was totally damaged at the blast spot, and vehicle wreckage and broken glass were scattering on the ground, where blood tainted. Some shops nearby were also badly damaged.

A witness said a suicide bomber walked into the bus when it stopped to pick up some passengers and blew himself up.

No one has claimed responsibility, but Taliban militants have frequently carried out similar attacks.

Kabul has suffered from bombing attacks from time to time. A suicide bombing killed a French soldier and injured several civilians in the city on September 21.

Due to rising Taliban violence, over 5,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)