Bomb hits Afghan spy chief's convoy

Elsewhere, the US-led coalition announced the killing of more than 45 Taliban in several incidents over the past week, as an upsurge in violence across Afghanistan showed no signs of abating.

A convoy carrying Kabul intelligence chief Humayoon Aini was struck by a bomb just outside the capital late Friday, Kabul police chief Amanullah Gozar said.

Aini escaped unharmed but three of his fellow travellers, including a tribal chief, were killed in the blast, which appeared to have been detonated by remote control, he told AFP.

Two other men, including a district intelligence director, were wounded, Gozar said.

He did not say who might have been behind the attack but similar ones have been blamed on Taliban fighters who have been waging an insurgency against the government since they were removed from power in late 2001.

The interior ministry said the bomb was "recently planted by unknown militants" to target government officials, labelling the attackers as the "enemies of Afghanistan" -- a phrase generally used to describe the Taliban.