Source: Six Americans die in suicide attack in Afghan capital

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Anja Niedringhaus / APSix Americans were killed Thursday when a car bomber attacked their convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan.By Atia Abawi and Fazal Ahad, NBC NewsKABUL, Afghanistan -- Six Americans were killed when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy carrying foreign troops in Kabul on Thursday, according to a NATO source.

The victims included two soldiers and four civilian contractors, the source added.

Officials in Afghanistan said six Afghan civilians had been killed, also.

The insurgent group Hizb-i-Islami, allied with the Taliban, claimed  responsibility for the attack. In September, it claimed responsibility for an attack near Kabul's airport that police said killed 12 people.

Kabul police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai said the attacker detonated a Toyota Corolla. He added that 35 people had been injured.

The powerful blast took place at around 8 a.m. local time (11.30 p.m. ET Wednesday).

"It was a powerful explosion and some of the dead civilians were badly burned and cannot be recognized," Kane Backlash, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Health Ministry, told Reuters.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

This story was originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 6:49 AM EDT

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