Suicide attack kills 7 Afghans at NATO base: Official

 A suicide attacker rammed a truck packed with explosives into a checkpoint at a NATO base on Friday, killing up to seven Afghan civilians in the east of the country, a security official said.

"The attacker drove his truck full of explosives into the first security checkpost of the NATO base. Initial information shows that seven Afghans have been killed and 13 others injured," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Khost province, near the Pakistani border, after which insurgents attacked the base.

"No Afghan or member of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in the attack," an ISAF spokesman said, adding that 14 rebels were killed in the clashes, which are now over.

According to the security official, the victims are Afghan workers who were involved in a construction project at the base. ISAF did not have further details on the number of civilian casualties.

"One of our mujahideen rammed a vehicle packed with ten tons of explosives into a NATO base in Khost city and detonated the truck near the restaurant of the base", said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Muhahid to AFP.

"A large number of foreign soldiers have been killed", he said.