A SUSPECTED SUICIDE CAR BOMB HIT A U.S.-LED COALITION CONVOY IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN ON TUESDAY AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF SOLDIERS WERE WOUNDED, A MILITARY SPOKESWOMAN SAID. THE ATTACK OCCURRED IN KHOST PROVINCE, 100 KILOMETERS (60 MILES) SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPITAL KABUL, SAID LT. TAMARA D. LAWRENCE. SHE SAID THE MILITARY WAS STILL CONFIRMING DETAILS OF THE ATTACK, INCLUDING THE NATIONALITY OF THE TROOPS. THE PROVINCE'S DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF, GEN. MOHAMMED ZAMAN, SAID THE BLAST WAS VERY POWERFUL AND MELTED THE ASPHALT ON THE ROAD. HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT THE ATTACKER'S CAR WAS LOADED WITH EXPLOSIVES AND DOZENS OF MORTARS. HE SAID THE ASSAILANT, WHO WAS KILLED, MANEUVERED THE CAR INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE COALITION CONVOY BEFORE DETONATING THE CHARGE.
