Herat (Afghanistan): A suicide car bomb exploded near a convoy of international forces in western Afghanistan today, killing five Afghan civilians and injuring at least 19 others, officials said.

It could not be immediately definitively confirmed if any foreign soldiers were injured in the bombing in western Herat province s Shindand district, which was claimed by Taliban militants.

"I confirm there was a suicide car bomb against a three-vehicle international forces convoy. The casualty toll has risen -- five killed and 19 injured," La al Mohammad, the district chief, told AFP.

All the dead were men and some of the wounded -- also all male - were in a critical condition, Mohammad said, adding that the bombing took place in a bazaar on the highway between Shindand and Herat city.

Afghan army general Jalandar Shah Beham put the injured toll at 25 and said one of the dead was a woman, adding all the victims were civilians.

Most of the foreign troops based in Herat are Italian nationals. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed the bombing against its troops but said only there were no casualties "so far".

Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi, talking to AFP from an unknown location, said his militant movement carried out the attack.

"One of our mujahedeen (holy warriors) carried out a suicide bombing against foreign forces in Shindand," the rebel spokesman said, claiming "several soldiers were killed."

The bombing was the latest in a growing insurgency being waged by the Taliban, whose regime was ousted from power in a US-led invasion in late 2001.

Source : PTI