KABUL — As Afghan President Hamid Karzai was preparing Tuesday to trumpet the success of his recent meetings in Washington, a suicide bomber in Kabul killed 18 people — including five U.S. troops — a grim reminder that the capital is still a prime target for Taliban insurgents.
The bomber, driving more than a half-ton of explosives, targeted a NATO convoy in busy early-morning traffic on a chaotic, pothole-riddled artery into the city center.
The blast blew armored SUVs aloft, ravaged a crowded bus and sent shrapnel flying hundreds of yards in the most jarring attack on the Afghan capital since February.
Five American fighters, a Canadian soldier and 12 Afghan civilians died in the attack, officials from the three nations said. It was the worst U.S. military loss since last October, when a roadside bomb killed seven soldiers in southern Afghanistan, carrying the American death toll in the war to 1,000, according to , which tracks casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Within hours, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which hit as Karzai was preparing to hold a news conference to drive home the message that he and President Barack Obama are united as they face a crucial summer.
Hours later, Karzai condemned the attack before he spoke to the news media about his fence-mending trip to the United States.
Karzai is preparing to host a nationwide assembly to debate the conditions for talking with the Taliban. The Obama administration is sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in preparation for a critical summer: American officials are looking to cripple the Taliban and weaken their position at the negotiating table.
Tuesday’s assault followed a nationwide sweep in which the Afghan government said it had arrested more than 115 suspects, including would-be suicide bombers.
