Suspected rockets hit Afghan base, several hurt

KABUL, July 1 (Reuters) Two suspected rockets hit the main international military base in southern Afghanistan wounding several people including two Canadian soldiers, one of them critically, a Canadian military spokesman said.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months to its worst level since the Taliban were ousted in 2001. More than 1,100 people, including about 50 foreign troops, have been killed since January.

The suspected rockets hit the main foreign military base at the airport in the town of Kandahar last evening.

''Two explosions occurred within the perimeter of Kandahar air field,'' said the Canadian military spokesman, Major Marc Theriault.

''One of them occurred in a common area and several people from various nations were wounded, among them two Canadian soldiers.

One was lightly wounded, the other was critically wounded,'' he said.

Theriault declined to give details of the other wounded, saying he was only authorised to speak about the Canadians. Other armed forces spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

Theriault said the blasts were being investigated but were believed to have been caused by rockets.

Taliban occasionally fire 107 mm rockets into the sprawling base but they usually explode harmlessly on open ground.

Theriault said last night attack was the seventh since he arrived at the base in February.

The critically wounded Canadian was being evacuated out of Afghanistan, he said.

REUTERS SI RS1043