Blasts in Afghanistan kill 1 NATO soldier, 8 civilians

KABUL, Afghanistan—Roadside bombs struck a NATO patrol and two civilian vehicles in Afghanistan, killing nine people and wounding 10, officials said Thursday.

A blast targeting a NATO patrol south of Kabul killed an alliance soldier and wounded four others Wednesday, the military alliance said in a statement.

NATO did not identify the nationalities of the troops attacked in Logar province.

Militants often target Afghan and foreign troops with roadside bombs.

In the southern Kandahar province, roadside bombs hit two civilian cars Wednesday on a road frequently used by foreign and Afghan troops, killing eight civilians and wounding six others, provincial police Chief Sayeed Agha Saqib said.

Saqib blamed Taliban militants for the attack, which occurred between Spin Boldak and Maruf, close to the border with Pakistan.

Over 1,200 people -- mostly militants -- have died in insurgency-related violence so far this year, according to a count by The Associated Press.