Suicide attacker hit Kandahar

[jide ibidapo]

A suicide bomber has killed at least 21 people in an attack on a hotel near the Afghan city of Kandahar, local police have told the BBC.

Provincial police Chief Abdul Raziq said drivers working to supply Nato forces were gathering at the hotel.

Some 22 people were also hurt in the attack, near the city's airport.

Kandahar province is known to be a centre of Taliban activity, and is one of the areas where the insurgency originated.

Officials said all those killed in the latest attack were civilians.

Some reports said the attacker rode a motorcycle into a packed area before detonating explosives.

Kandahar airport is about 16km (10 miles) southeast of the city, and houses a large Nato base.

BBC