Blast hits foreign forces in Afghanistan-witnesses

ASADABAD, Afghanistan, May 27 (Reuters) A roadside bomb exploded near a convoy of foreign troops in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province today and some soldiers were wounded, witnesses said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the explosion in the Manogai district of Kunar and said three foreign soldiers died in the blast, a spokesman for the militants said.

Officials with NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the US-led coalition battling the Taliban said they knew nothing about an attack in Kunar. NATO and the US coalition have nearly 50,000 troops in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks in recent weeks following the traditional winter lull in fighting.

Ousted from government by US forces in 2001, the Taliban says it has trained hundreds of suicide bombers to carry out attacks.

A British soldier was killed early yesterday during a mission to clear a Taliban compound on the outskirts of Garmsir in Helmand province.

NATO said last week that 85 people, including 40 civilians, had been killed during the first 23 days of May by improvised explosive devices, a favourite tactic of the Taliban.

REUTERS SG KP1850