Suicide bomb, US forces kill 13 in Afghanistan

The violence came as President Hamid Karzai attended a high-level security conference in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban regime, to urge foreign forces to do their best to avoid civilian casualties.

Six bodyguards, a district chief and a civilian were killed when the suicide bomber sneaked into the heavily guarded residence of the governor of troubled Helmand province, provincial police chief Mohammad Nabi Mullahkhil told AFP.

"Governor Mohammad Daud was about to leave and as his motorcade and bodyguards were prepared the attacker penetrated into the governor's house and tried to approach the governor," Mullahkil said.

"The bodyguard suspected he might be an attacker and stopped him but then the man exploded himself," he said, adding that eight other bodyguards were injured.