At least 15 Afghans were killed and 25 wounded on Tuesday in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan, a spokesman for NATO-led forces said.

"Initial reports are that 15 local nationals were killed and another 25 were wounded in an explosion in Nangarhar province," the spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

Residents in the district, south of the city of Jalalabad, said Afghan forces and civilians were among the dead, which they said could total as many as 31.

One resident, reached by phone from Kabul, said the dead included 11 members of the Afghan security forces and two children.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion but suicide bombers have carried out attacks in the area in the past.

The eastern region of Afghanistan, along the border with Pakistan, is the scene of frequent clashes between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban fighters.

PHOTO CAPTION 

An Afghan policeman adjusts his Kalashnikov rifle in the village of Sanjaray in Zhari district, some 35 km west of Kandahar, April 27, 2008.

Reuters