A suicide bomber rammed his car into a NATO convoy in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug 4: A suicide bomber rammed his car into a NATO convoy in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province today, a day after raids there killed 21 civilians and four foreign soldiers, witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear if there were any troop casualties, they said, and NATO forces could not be immediately contacted for comment.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks in the south as NATO built up to its takeover from U S troops on Monday in the biggest ground operation of its history.

NATO and Afghan forces killed 20 Taliban fighters in a battle in neighbouring Helmand province yesterday, provincial police chief Nabi Mullahkhail said today.

Today's suicide attack was in Maiwand district, on the main highway west of Kandahar city.

A suicide car attack on NATO troops in another area of Kandahar killed 21 Afghan civilians yesterday.

Taliban commander Mullah Hayat Khan told Reuters by satellite phone the group was not involved in yesterday's bombing, accusing foreign agents of carrying out the raid to discredit the Taliban.

There were no apparent casualties among the troops from that attack, but four Canadian soldiers were killed in three separate raids in the province, the bloodiest day since Monday's takeover.

Afghanistan is going through its worst violence since U S-led forces overthrew the Taliban government in 2001.

Almost 1,800 people have been killed in attacks by Taliban, drug barons and operations by foreign forces this year, mostly in the south and east, the Taliban's homeland.

The victims include militants, civilians, aid workers, Afghan security forces and almost 80 foreign troops.

Separately, a group of suspected Taliban attacked a police post just outside the capital early today, police said.

There were no casualties among the police but one attacker was killed.

REUTERS