Suicide blast wounds 3 US soldiers in Afghanistan

KHOST, Afghanistan, Feb 20 (Reuters) An Afghan suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up and injured three US soldiers during a function at a hospital in Khost today, officials said.

Khost governor Arsala Jamal told Reuters that a US soldier had seen the bomber acting suspiciously at a gathering of provincial officials and troops under NATO's command.

''The bomber wore a gown and looked suspicious,'' Jamal told Reuters by phone from the hospital. ''An American soldier saw him, fired at him and then the bomber blew up his explosives in which three American soldiers were wounded.'' He had no more details.

A US soldier was killed in fighting yesterday as the Taliban stepped up attacks at the start of a spring offensive.

The soldier was killed in the eastern province of Kunar, bordering Pakistan, the US military said in a statement.

At least 10 US soldiers have died in Afghanistan this month, including eight at the weekend in a helicopter crash believed to have been caused by engine failure.

After several months of a lull in fighting due to the harsh Afghan winter, the Taliban have resumed attacks against government forces and Western troops in the south and east.

More than 4,000 people, a quarter of them civilians, were killed in violence in Afghanistan last year, the bloodiest period since a US-led coalition overthrew the Taliban in 2001.

The Taliban say they are gearing up for a spring offensive while the coalition and NATO troops are readying for their own offensive in what analysts say will be a crunch year in the war to quell a strengthening insurgency.

REUTERS SY DS1330