Powerful blast kills 3 in Kandahar
Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:32:44 GMT

The scene of a bomb attack in Kandahar, file photo
A blast has rocked the southern city of Kandahar in Afghanistan, killing at least three people and wounding more than a dozen others.

The blast happened when an explosive-laden vehicle was detonated near a hotel on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Kandahar.

Police say the bomber was apparently trying to target a convoy of NATO-led troops. Police fear a rise in the number of casualties.

According to a UN report, violence in Afghanistan claimed more than 1,600 lives in 2009.

The figure shows a 40-percent rise in casualties compared to a year earlier.

JR/SAR/MMN