6 US Troops Killed in Afghan Suicide Attack

Six American troops were killed Monday in a suicide attack near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, reports the Washington Post, with three Afghan troops reportedly wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, which was the largest attack on foreign troops in Afghanistan since August. A US Army spokesman said it happened about 1:30pm local time in the vicinity of Bagram, the largest US military facility in Afghanistan. A Parwan provincial police chief tells NBC News that a suicide bomber on a motorcycle carried out the attack against a convoy of Afghan and Western soldiers.

"We're deeply saddened by this loss," said Brig. Gen. Wilson A. Shoffner, per the Los Angeles Times. "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those affected in this tragic incident, especially during this holiday season." Monday's attack came as Taliban gunmen and government forces battled for control of a strategic district in the southern province of Helmand after it was overrun by Taliban insurgents, delivering a serious blow to government forces. (More NATO stories.)