A suicide bomber driving a car exploded himself near a mini-bus of Afghan National Army on Wednesday morning in Afghan capital, killing at least six soldiers and six civilians, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

In an earlier talk to Xinhua, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Tahir Azimi said that the explosion took place at around 06:50 a.m. local time.

However, a local radio, Noorin, quoted government officials as saying that eight personnel from defense ministry who were in the bus and some 12 nearby local civilians including some shopkeepers were killed.

Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told Xinhua via phone from an unknown location said that his outfit took the responsibility and a man from eastern Afghan Khost province carried out the attack against Afghan National Army, killing some 40 persons.

The Afghan capital met several bombing attacks against foreign troops and Afghan army during the past two months. A suicide bombing against NATO troops near Kabul airport on Tuesday morning wounded 22 civilians.

More than 6,000 people were killed in the roadside bombings, suicide blasts and various militancy-related violence in the past 11 months in Afghanistan.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2007)