Blast kills NATO soldier in Afghan northwest

MAIMANA, Afghanistan, May 23 (Reuters) A NATO soldier and an Afghan civilian were killed by an explosion today in Faryab province in northwestern Afghanistan, the provincial governor said.

The blast happened outside a NATO base in Maimana, capital of the relatively peaceful province, Latif Ibrahimi said.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months after the traditional winter lull. Last year was the bloodiest since US and Afghan opposition forces forced the Taliban from power in 2001.

The Maimana blast could have been triggered by a remote-control device, Ibrahimi said. The explosives used were hidden under a nearby shop.

Several Afghans and a NATO soldier were wounded in the explosion, he added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

NATO said its soldier was killed in a suicide attack which also wounded four other alliance troops.

Following its usual policy, NATO did not reveal the nationality of the victims.

Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle set off explosives as Afghan police chased him on a busy road in Kabul, and one policeman was killed and several people wounded, police said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on a road frequently used by foreign troops. Two policemen and several civilians were wounded, police said.

Hours before today's blasts, Taliban guerrillas beheaded a man they accused of spying for US-led forces in the western province of Farah, a provincial official said.

REUTERS RJ RK1645