A suicide bombing claimed by the Taliban killed three Czech soldiers on patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, the deadliest assault on NATO troops for many months.

"Three Resolute Support service members were killed by a suicide bomber during a combined, dismounted patrol with Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan," NATO's Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

In Prague, the military said the dead soldiers were Czech.

A US member of the patrol and two Afghan soldiers were wounded, NATO added.

The attack by a lone bomber on foot happened at 6am in the city of Charikar in Parwan province 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Kabul, said provincial governor's spokesman Wahida Shahkar.

The Taliban in a statement claimed responsibility, saying they killed or wounded eight American soldiers in a "tactical explosion".

The Czech army said in a statement that three of its soldiers, a staff sergeant and two corporals, were killed in the explosion.

"The tragic death of our three soldiers has struck me deeply, and I wish to express my deepest condolences to their families," said Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar.

Thirteen Czech soldiers have now been killed in Afghanistan.

The NATO force largely ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 and pulled out the bulk of its troops. A 16,000-strong residual force remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.

Of these, the US accounts for 13,000 soldiers, about 2,000 of whom are assigned to anti-terror combat missions.

Last month a US soldier was killed and two others wounded in an "apparent insider attack" in southern Afghanistan.

Casualties among the NATO force have fallen dramatically since most were withdrawn from combat. But the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) group have recently stepped up their attacks against government and civilian targets.

On Friday two suicide bombers dressed as women struck a Shiite mosque in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, while it was crowded with worshippers for weekly prayers. Thirty-five were killed and more than 90 wounded.

The burqa-clad attackers shot at the mosque's security guards before opening fire on worshippers and then detonating their explosives.

Last month an IS suicide bomber blew himself up near Kabul international airport, killing 23 people including AFP driver Mohammad Akhtar.

Both attacks were claimed by IS, which is trying to make inroads in Afghanistan. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed three Czech soldiers who were on a NATO foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said, an attack claimed by the Taliban.

One U.S. and two Afghan soldiers were wounded, the NATO Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis paid tribute to the “heroes who fought against terrorism so far from home and who were killed by a suicide attacker.

“I respect what they did for our country. I am sending my deepest condolences to their families,” he tweeted.

Eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. Special Forces units have regularly been deployed against militants, remains one of the deadliest areas since the U.S. military ended its main combat operation against the Taliban in 2014.

U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said of the attack vicitims: “Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history and further strengthen our resolve.”

The attack on a routine foot patrol happened in the Khalazai area of Charikar, capital of Parwan province, local officials said.

The Taliban, fighting to restore strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, claimed responsibility and said it had killed eight “U.S. invaders”.

“The invaders had to bring three helicopter ambulances to protect their forces,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in statement. </s> A suicide bomber has killed three Czech Nato soldiers in an attack in eastern Afghanistan.

The victims were targeted while on a routine foot patrol alongside Afghan forces, Nato officials said in a statement.

A US soldier and two Afghan soldiers were wounded in the attack in Charikar, the capital of Parwan province, at 6:00 local time (01:30 GMT).

Taliban militants have claimed they carried out the bombing.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis paid tribute in a Twitter post (in Czech) to the three Czech soldiers killed on Sunday, hailing them as "heroes" and sending his condolences to their families.

Earlier US Army General John Nicholson said of the dead and wounded: "Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history and further strengthen our resolve."

Last month, a US soldier was killed and two others wounded in an "apparent insider attack" in southern Afghanistan, Nato officials said.

Afghanistan is going through one of its bloodiest periods since the 2014, and last month's attack was said to be the first such killing of its kind in almost a year.

The US-led Nato force, which comprises of soldiers from 41 countries, pulled out most of its troops after it ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014. However, 16,000 service members remain for training and counter-terrorism operations. </s> KABUL: A suicide bomber killed three Czech soldiers who were on a Nato foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said, an attack claimed by the Taliban. One US and two Afghan soldiers were wounded, the Nato Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis paid tribute to the "heroes who fought against terrorism so far from home and who were killed by a suicide attacker. "I respect what they did for our country. I am sending my deepest condolences to their families," he tweeted.

Eastern Afghanistan, where US Special Forces units have regularly been deployed against militants, remains one of the deadliest areas since the US military ended its main combat operation against the Taliban in 2014.

US Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support and US Forces-Afghanistan, said of the attack victims: "Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history and further strengthen our resolve." The attack on a routine foot patrol happened in the Khalazai area of Charikar, capital of Parwan province, local officials said.

The Taliban, fighting to restore strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, claimed responsibility and said it had killed eight "US invaders". "The invaders had to bring three helicopter ambulances to protect their forces," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in statement.

Hundreds of mourners Saturday buried the victims of a twin suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan. Two suicide bombers dressed as women struck a Shiite mosque in Gardez, capital of Paktia province, Friday as it was crowded with worshippers. The burqa-clad attackers shot at the mosque´s security guards before opening fire on worshippers then detonating their explosives. </s> KABUL - A suicide bomber killed three NATO service members on patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.

A NATO Resolute Support mission service member, an American, and two Afghan soldiers were wounded, the mission said.

The attack is being investigated.

Officials said the blast happened in the Khalazai area of Charikar, capital of Parwan province.

Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces who were on a routine patrol.

The Taliban, fighting to restore strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, claimed responsibility. </s> A Taliban suicide bomber killed three NATO forces on a foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday in an attack that also wounded a US soldier and two Afghan troops, NATO said in a statement.

The Czech military confirmed that the three killed were Czech service members.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which took place near Charakar, the provincial capital of the Parwan province.

“My thoughts and prayers, along with those of all of the 41-contributing Resolute Support nations, are with the families and friends of our fallen and wounded service members, and our injured Afghan brothers and their families,” said US Army Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. “Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history, and further strengthen our resolve.”

Czech Defense Minister Lubomir Metnar also offered his condolences. The Czechs had recently approved a plan to deploy 390 soldiers in Afghanistan through 2020, up from the current 230, as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.

NATO formally concluded its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but some 16,000 US and other NATO soldiers are providing support and training to Afghan troops and carrying out counterterrorism missions.

Last month, the Taliban struck a NATO convoy with a suicide car bomb in the eastern Logar province. The attack killed two civilians and damaged a NATO vehicle.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a newly constructed district headquarters in the southern Uruzgan province early Saturday, killing four Afghan soldiers, according to Mohammad Maruf Ahmadzai, the provincial police chief. He said nine Taliban fighters were killed in the ensuing gunbattle.

The Taliban claimed the attack and said they captured soldiers alive.

Both the Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate regularly target Afghan security forces. The IS affiliate has also carried out several attacks targeting the country’s Shiite minority. On Sunday, IS claimed a suicide attack two days earlier on a mosque in the city of Gardez, south of Kabul. The attack killed at least 29 people and wounded another 81.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> A suicide bomber killed three NATO service members on a foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said, and Taliban militants claimed responsibility.

A NATO Resolute Support mission service member, an American, and two Afghan soldiers were wounded, the mission said in a statement.

"Their sacrifice will endure in both our hearts and history and further strengthen our resolve," said U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, in the statement.

Local officials said the blast happened in the Khalazai area of Charikar, capital of Parwan province.

Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces who were on a routine foot patrol.

Eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. Special Forces units have regularly been deployed against militants, continues to be one of the deadliest areas for the U.S. military since its main combat operation against the Taliban ended in 2014.

The Taliban, fighting to restore strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, claimed responsibility.

"We have killed eight U.S. invaders in a tactic bombing," Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said in statement.

"The invaders had to bring three helicopter ambulances to protect their forces," he said. </s> Kabul: A Taliban suicide bomber attacked a convoy of foreign forces in Afghanistan late Thursday, killing one NATO soldier and wounding six other personnel, the coalition said.

"The patrol was conducting a partnered mission with the Afghan National Army when a personnel-borne IED (improvised explosive device) detonated," in Qarabagh district in Kabul province," NATO said in a statement.

The Taliban quickly claimed the attack on social media and in Whatsapp messages to journalists.

Qarabagh district is located 50 kilometres north of the capital Kabul and is near Bagram Airbase, the largest American base in Afghanistan.

"One Resolute Support Soldier was killed and six personnel (five troops and one interpreter) were wounded Thursday evening when their patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber," Nato said referring to the name of its Afghan mission.

"The RS personnel who were wounded are being treated at the US military hospital at Bagram Airfield. All of the wounded are listed in stable condition," it added.

The nationality of the dead soldier and injured was not immediately known.

Civilians were also reported to have been wounded in the night-time attack.

"#Afghanistan explosion in Qarabagh district, 12 wounded brought to our #Kabul hospital so far," tweeted an Italian-run hospital in the capital which specialises in dealing with victims of bombings.

The attack came a day after a Taliban suicide bomber killed two US soldiers in Afghanistan`s restive southern province of Kandahar when he rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into a convoy of foreign forces. </s> Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) Four Americans were killed in an apparent suicide bomb attack early Saturday at Bagram Airfield, the largest US base in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

Two of those killed were service members, and two were contractors, he said, adding he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

The explosion also wounded 16 other US service members and one Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission, Carter said in a statement.

The Taliban claimed responsibility in a tweet praising the "strong attack" on Bagram Airfield.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a suicide bomber had targeted "a sports ground where more than 100 military officers, important people and soldiers were busy exercising."

The attack on the airfield had been planned for four months, he said.

A NATO coalition official told CNN that the bomber, who is presumed dead, detonated the suicide bomb vest on a sidewalk near where people were preparing for a run.

The base was under lockdown, and additional security measures were instituted at all other locations in Afghanistan for the United States and coalition allies, the official said.

Carter offered his condolences to the families of those killed and said the injured were getting the best possible care.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," he said.

"For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offered his support on Twitter to those affected by the attack.

"NATO remains committed to our mission to train and support the Afghan forces. We all stand united in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement.

The airfield is next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province. Bagram is more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Urgent investigations are being carried out at the base, and security has been tightened, according to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. The military will want to ensure that anyone tied to the blast is found before people are allowed to leave the base.

"The question now is, how did someone get inside?" she said. "There's very strict security at these bases. ... If you come in a vehicle, you are stopped well before the outside gate. Vehicles are searched, people are searched, people must have ID -- so it's very difficult to understand right now how this happened."

There are about 14,000 people on the Bagram base, with about 60% contractors, according to Starr. Locals move on and off the base in some contractor roles, she said.

Security breaches at coalition bases in Afghanistan have occurred but are rare, she added.

Monir Ahmad Farhad, a provincial spokesman, said four people were killed and more 100 people were injured in the attack in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital. No German diplomats were hurt. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those deaths happened the same day Taliban mortars killed at least seven people at a wedding party in Faryab province in northern Afghanistan, police spokesman Kareem Youresh said. At least 13 people were wounded.
A Taliban suicide bomber kills three Czech soldiers on a routine patrol in Charikar, Afghanistan. A U.S. soldier and two Afghan troops are also injured in the bombing.