3 American soldiers, 3 civilians die in Afghan suicide bombing

KABUL (AP) — A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-rigged car into a military convoy Tuesday, killing three American soldiers and three Afghan civilians in eastern Afghanistan.

The attack against the American convoy came in eastern Kapisa province, an stronghold of insurgents loyal to the Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

“I was driving my motorbike when I saw the car with a young man with a beard and white cap,” said Sayed Najibullah, a 22-year-old shopkeeper.

Najibullah said he heard the explosion minutes after the man, in a Toyota Corolla, waved him past.

Three U.S. troops were killed in the explosion, said Tech. Sgt. Chuck Marsh, a U.S. military spokesman. The soldiers served with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

Three civilians also died, and two others were wounded, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.