Suicide bomber dies in abortive raid on US-led convoy

BAGRAM, June 26 (Reuters) A suicide bomber died in Afghanistan today before he could ram his car into a convoy of US-led coalition troops, police said.

None of the soldiers was hurt, but two teenaged Afghan civilians were wounded in the blast.

The incident happened on a road near Bagram airbase, the hub of the coalition's operations in Afghanistan, said Abdur Rahman Sayedkhaili, the regional police chief.

Sayedkhaili said earlier that the bomber had hit the convoy, but later said the bomb exploded prematurely.

The body of the bomber, torn into two pieces, lay beside the wreckage of his car, a Reuters journalist said.

US military officials were investigating the incident.

The attack comes amid rising violence by Taliban and allied guerrillas this year in which more than 1,100 people, including nearly 50 foreign troops, have been killed.

One coalition soldier died of wounds suffered during a combat operation in the eastern province of Kunar yesterday, the US military said in a statement.

The surge in violence comes ahead of NATO troops taking over duties in the Taliban's southern heartland from US-led forces.

REUTERS SI PC1330