The Taliban launched a pre-dawn attack on a Nato base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, triggering a firefight with foreign and Afghan forces that left eight militants dead. Another 10 people, including three children, were killed in a motorcycle bombing in a market in a remote area of northern Afghanistan in an attack apparently targeting a local pro-government militia leader.
The Taliban, which often exaggerates details of its attacks and foreign casualties, said 14 suicide bombers were involved in the strike on the base at Jalalabad airport, which was the target of a similar attack in June. But the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said only one was wearing a suicide vest. It said eight militants were killed. "The forward operating base received small arms fire from an unknown number of insurgents and after gaining positive identification of insurgent fighting positions an ANA and ISAF quick reaction force was sent to the area," it said.