Two shells have struck the main US base in Afghanistan, killing two soldiers, US and Afghan officials say.

A US military spokeswoman said that six other people had been wounded by the mortar fire, including four military personnel and two civilians.

The Bagram base is just 50km from the capital, Kabul.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday. The nationalities of the dead have not been released.

A Nato spokesman said the mortar rounds landed inside the base. It is the first time US soldiers have been killed by hostile fire inside the base since troops came to Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow the country's Taliban government.

Afghan elections

Campaigning began last Tuesday in Afghanistan's presidential election, due to be held on August 20.

Forty-one candidates are standing for the five-year term, including the incumbent president Hamid Karzai.

Chater reported that there had been a rise in violence since the official launch of campaigning.

"Just about all around Afghanistan we are getting reports of Taliban attacks. They are reaching the highest level we have seen since the invasion in 2001, so this is a great concern for the election."

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