NATO reports 5 coalition troops killed in east, south Afghanistan

NATO: 5 coalition troops killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO says five coalition troops have been killed in fighting in eastern and southern Afghanistan.

NATO said Saturday that one coalition service member died as a result of small-arms fire, another died following a roadside bombing and a third was killed during an insurgent attack in separate incidents in eastern Afghanistan.

NATO says two other coalition troops died Saturday in separate roadside bombings in southern Afghanistan.

Their nationalities have not yet been released. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A motorcycle bomb exploded in the commercial center of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Saturday, killing at least one person, police said.

Cars were ablaze and windows shattered at a popular shopping center in the aftermath of the blast.

One bystander was killed when the bomb, concealed in a parked motorcycle, exploded in the middle of the afternoon, said Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, the city’s security chief.

Kandahar is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban and the province surrounding it is the site of a U.S.-led military operation to strengthen government control.

Insurgent attacks and coalition raids have intensified across Afghanistan as 30,000 more American troops arrive to try to turn around the 9-year-old war against the Taliban and stabilize the Afghan government.