Kabul attack :Female bomber kills 12 to avenge film,Hezb-i-Islami claims responsibility

A female suicide bomber killed 12 people i n Kabul o n Tuesday i n the deadliest single attack claimed to avenge a US film that has sparked a week of deadly protests across the Muslim world.

The attack brings to more tha n 30 the number of people now killed i n a violent backlash over a YouTube trailer for  the film, believed to have bee n produced by a small group of extremist Christians.

 Security officials said nine foreigners were among those killed o n a major highway leading to Kabul airport and close to a wedding hall whe n the bomber blew her statio n wago n up alongside a miniva n carrying foreig n workers.
     

At least six bodies were lying among the wreckage of a gutted minivan, and another vehicle destroyed by flames still burning i n the middle of the highway, with debris flung all around.

n style="font-size: larger;">n style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">Hezb-i-Islami claims responsibility

Hezb-i-Islami, the second largest insurgent group after the Taliba n who have bee n fighting US-led troops and the government for 10 years, claimed the attack.

 "The bombing was carried out by a woma n named Fatima.The bombing was i n retaliatio n for the insult to our Prophet,"spokesma n Zubair Sidiqi told.

It is extremely rare for the factio n to claim a suicide attack i n Afghanistan. It is also rare for wome n to carry out suicide attacks.
     

 It was the second suicide strike i n the heavily fortified city i n 10 days, renewing questions about stability as NATO accelerates a troop withdrawal and hands over to Afgha n forces by the end of 2014.
 

"There has bee n a suicide bombing next to a minivan,carrying foreigners. There are a lot of casualties. I cannot give you a number at this time, but there are alot of casualties," Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told .

Eight of those killed were foreig n workers for a n international courier company, a senior police source said, while the other was a n Afgha n translator. Eight Afgha n workers were injured i n the blast.

The attack took place o n the eight-lane highway i n front of a wedding hall sometime after 6:30am (local time).It was the second suicide strike i n the heavily fortified city i n te n days as O n September 8, a suicide bomber killed at least six people, most of them children, outside ISAF headquarters i n Kabul.

A n Afgha n and a Wester n security official confirmed that nine foreigners were killed i n the attack, which police confirmed was a suicide car bomb.

Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told it was a suicide attack next to a minivan, carrying foreigners.

A spokesma n for NATO's US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed a n explosio n near the airport .

These persistant attacks  raises concerns  about Afghanistan  stability as NATO accelerates a troop withdrawal and hands over to Afgha n forces by the end of 2014.

Already Anti-US protests are being  witnessed i n the Muslim world  bacause of the Anti-Islam video .Hundreds of Afghans staged a violent protest i n Kabul o n Monday against a n America n film deemed offeinsive to Islam, throwing stones at a US base, torching cars and shouting "Death to America", police said.

The demonstratio n erupted o n Jalalabad Road, home to NATO and US military bases i n the easter n part of the Afgha n capital, with two police cars among those set ablaze, Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told .

NATO, which is helping the Afgha n government fight a Taliban-led insurgency now i n its 11th year, is gradually withdrawing its 112,600 remaining troops. The United States, which leads the force, has 77,000 US troops i n the country.

Taliba n fighters last week stormed a British-ru n airfield, killing two US Marines and destroying six US fighter jets also to avenge the film.

 A week of furious protests outside US embassies and other America n symbols i n at least 20 countries have killed 19 other people, including the America n ambassador to Libya and three other US diplomats i n the North Africa n country.

n style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">n style="font-size: larger;">Tough words from general o n Afgha n insider attacks

US Defense Secretary Leo n Panetta  said insider attacks o n NATO forces i n Afghanista n were a "last gasp" tactic by Taliba n insurgents who had bee n unable to make up lost territory.

His comments came after a weekend i n which six NATO troops were killed i n apparent green-on-blue attacks, and appear to contradict commanders o n the ground, who say most of the assaults are the result of cultural conflicts.

"This is a n approach that the Taliba n is resorting to,similar to the use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices),"Panetta said during a visit to Tokyo.

Britain's defence secretary says security has bee n increased at the mai n British base i n Afghanista n after a major Taliba n raid.
  

Attackers dressed i n US Army uniforms infiltrated Camp Bastio n o n Friday, killing two US marines and destroying six America n fighter jets.
   

Hammond said attacks like the killing of two British soldiers by a n Afgha n local police officer o n Saturday would not derail the process of training Afgha n security forces so UK troops ca n leave by 2014.