By Agencies

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At least four Taliban fighters have been killed during a suicide attack in the border city of Khost in eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban said its fighters rammed a vehicle packed with large amounts of explosives into the city's US military base on Friday.

The blast was heard throughout the city and smoke was rising near the base, a witness and nearby residents said.

There was no immediate word on casualties. NATO said it was aware of an incident in the area but it was too early to comment.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan since the Taliban began its yearly summer offensive in April, vowing to target Afghan government and security forces, as well as the 130,000 foreign troops in the country.

A police source said a gun battle was raging near the base and local security forces were unable to get close to the area.