Seven suspected terrorists detained in Afghan capital (Roundup)

May 24, 2010, 15:03 GMT

Kabul - The Afghan intelligence department said Monday it has arrested seven persons in Kabul suspected in a number of terrorist suicide car bombings in the city.

'We detained a dangerous terrorist group comprised of seven members in capital who designed recent suicide car bomb assaults on Afghans and foreigners,' Sayed Ansari, spokesman of the Afghan National Security Directorate told a press conference in Kabul.

He said the group was suspected in a bomb blast in Kabul which killed 37 Afghan nationals and injured 377 other people, and in a bombing in the capital last week which killed six foreign soldiers.

'The detainees are all Afghans who received suicide attack training in Pakistan,' the spokesman added.

Afghanistan has often accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of supporting Taliban-led groups but Pakistan refutes such charges.

Meanwhile, at least eight civilians were killed in separate incidents in different parts of Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

A passenger bus was blown up by a bomb Monday in the western province of Farah, killing at least five civilians and wounding eight others, the ministry said.

'The Toyota bus was taking passengers to the provincial capital when a roadside bomb planted by enemies of Afghanistan hit it,' it said.

'Three civilians including a child were killed and three others were wounded in multiple incidents in north-western province of Faryab province on Sunday,' the ministry said.

Four civilians were reported missing, it added.

The insurgents have recently increased their activities against Afghan and international forces during their summer offensive.