One Afghan soldier was killed and several wounded after a suicide car bomb exploded outside a Nato military airport in Kabul, officials said.

The blast took place near a group of Afghan soldiers after apparently failing to explode during a head-on collision with a German military vehicle, one Afghan soldier said.

Ali Shah Paktiawa, a Kabul police official, said: "The bomber was in a car and tried to get into the airport through an entrance under the control of Isaf.

"I know that one Afghan has been killed and there are wounded people too. I do not know about Isaf casualties," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Civilians killed

Zemarai Bashary, the Afghan interior ministry spokesman, said two civilians were among the injured.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) confirmed the explosion had involved some of its soldiers and a spokeswoman said some suffered minor injuries.

The 37-nation Isaf does not give the nationalities of its casualties.

The Isaf airport is near Kabul's main airport and in a busy area in the northeast of the city.

An Afghan airport official said civilian flights to and from the airport were continuing as normal.

Last week, a suicide bomb wounded three foreign troops and four Afghan civilians.

On August 15, three German security officers attached to the embassy were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb.

PHOTO CAPTION

Nato troops in Afghanistan (archive)