By Hamid Shalizi
KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Afghan army personnel, killing six soldiers and wounding 11 on Thursday on the outskirts of Kabul, the Defense Ministry said, ending a near two-week lull in attacks in the capital.
Five Afghan school children were also reported killed in a foreign forces air strike, officials said, but the international coalition said those killed were insurgents.
Thursday's bus attack follows a wave of bombings on guesthouses, government officials and vehicles of foreign aid workers in the heavily guarded capital last month.
Taliban insurgents have stepped up their attacks in recent months in Afghanistan with deadly suicide and roadside bombings as most foreign troops prepare to leave the country after 13 years of war.
Dawlat Waziri, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said a bomber on foot targeted the bus in the Tarakhil area of eastern Kabul early in the morning when the army personnel were on their way to work.
"Unfortunately, we lost six soldiers and 11 others were wounded in the suicide attack," said Waziri.
The Taliban, who were ousted from power in 2001, claimed responsibility for the attacks and said 12 officers were killed and 13 wounded. Taliban insurgents often exaggerate casualties they inflict on national and international troops.
Five Afghan students were killed in a foreign forces air strike in northern Parwan province on Wednesday, Mohammad Zaman Mamozai, the provincial police chief, told Reuters.
The International Security Assistance Force confirmed an air strike in the area, but said five insurgents were killed.
"While performing reconnaissance on an area known to be used by enemy combatants, coalition aircraft identified militants traveling in an open area," a coalition statement said. "After ensuring they were well clear of any civilians, the aircraft engaged them with precision munitions."
Civilian casualties caused by air power have been one of the most contentious issues of the war, though there are often conflicting claims and confirming identities of those killed takes time.
Also on Thursday, Taliban fighters attacked a busy bazaar in the western province of Herat, officials said.
Aminullah Azad, deputy provincial police chief, said dozens of insurgents had forced their way into people's homes in Shindand district and were exchanging fire with security forces.
Ministry of Defense spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi confirmed the fighting.
"The district has not fallen to the insurgents," he said. "We have dispatched additional forces in the area."
(Reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Kay Johnson and Nick Macfie)