Twelve Americans killed in Afghan attack

A suicide bomber killed 13 Western troops and contractors in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.

NATO said five coalition service members and eight civilian contractors were killed in the attack.

The AP report says a Taliban suicide bomber attacked an armored vehicle that was traveling as part of a convoy in Kabul. Twelve Americans, a Canadian and four Afghans were killed, making it the deadliest attack in the country since August, when the Taliban shot down a NATO helicopter.

The bombing “parked a fireball and littered the street with shrapnel and twisted metal hulks,” the AP reported.

NATO and Afghan forced were meeting in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the transition of power from U.S.-led coalition forces to the Afghan government. The AP described Saturday’s attack as a “major setback” as the U.S. scales back its military presence in Afghanistan.

The wire service said the Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing as well as a separate suicide bombing in northwest Afghanistan. Only the bomber died in that attack.

This story was updated at 3:45 p.m.