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Premature suicide blast kills three in Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- Three civilians were killed in a botched up suicide attack in Afghanistan's central province of Ghazni on Monday, officials said.
The suspected suicide bomber was sitting in mini-coach when the explosives fastened to his body went off prematurely.
Three civilians were killed and another four sustained injuries as a result while several nearby buildings were damaged, said police chief of Ghazni province Mohammad Zaman. He said the dead included driver of the mini-coach and two pedestrians. The bomber failed to reach his target, which might be a governmental building, some official or the foreign troops, informed the police chief.
Spokesman for Ghazni governor Ismail Jehangir told journalists that the blast took place in front of the building of the information and culture department in the morning. Meanwhile the Afghan Defence Ministry claimed the Afghan and US troops had killed 20 militants during the past one month. The ministry's officials said the militants were killed in area between the Pakistani tribal region of Bajaur and the Afghan province of Kunar. The ministry officials said the militant casualties were apart from those being killed by the Pakistani security forces in their anti-Taliban operation in Bajaur. (end) gk.rk KUNA 221421 Dec 08NNNN