[halfstreet]

07/08/2012 11:23 CET | EuroNews

At least eight people have been killed in a bomb blast in the Afghan capital Kabul.

The device hit a minibus early this morning in the western Paghman district. The victims
were reportedly on their way to work.

No group has claimed responsibility, but police are blaming the Taliban. A man suspected
of placing the device has been arrested.



Meanwhile, a FRENCH soldier has been killed and another wounded during a joint operation
with the Afghan army in Kapisa province, the French presidency and prime minister's office
say.

A statement on Tuesday from Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault's office said the casualties
happened "during a clash with insurgents" and that the wounded soldier was expected to
survive.

A total of 88 French soldiers have died in Afghanistan since they first deployed there in 2001.

French forces are now deployed only in Kabul and in Kapisa.

Also, Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak resigned on Tuesday after losing a no-
confidence vote in parliament, leaving President Hamid Karzai scrambling to find a replacement
for one of his top security tsars as insurgent attacks mount.

Attacks in and around Kabul have increased in recent weeks. Foreign troops plan to hand full
responsibility for security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.