A suicide car bombing on Thursday targeting the NATO convoy in the center of Kandahar city, the capital of southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, left over eight civilians dead and 22 others injured, said a police official.

Sayed Aqa Saqib, the provincial police chief told Xinhua that it the explosion occurred in downtown Kandahar at around 10 a.m. (GMT0530) as a suicide attacker drove a car laden with explosives and exploded himself while getting close to the NATO convoy.

"Eight civilians were killed and 22 others including two policemen were injured," Saqib said, "Over 14 shops along the street hit by the explosion were damaged."

However, there were no casualties on NATO troops, he added.

Taliban has yet to make any confirmation.

Conflicts and Taliban-related violence have left more than 360 people dead so far this year in war-torn Afghanistan, where Taliban militants recently have vowed to launch the "spring offensive" to intensify their guerrilla-style attacks on national army and foreign troops.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2008)