Kabul: An explosion outside the main US military base in Afghanistan killed at least two people on Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, officials said. Cheney is safe.
The blast happened near the first security gate outside the base at Bagram, killing two people and wounding 12, said Kabir Ahmad, the district chief of the Bagram region.
Major William Mitchell said it did not appear the explosion was intended as a threat to the vice president. ''He wasn't near the site of the explosion,'' Mitchell said. ''He was safely within the base at the time of the explosion.''
Cheney, who spent the night at Bagram, ate breakfast with US soldiers Tuesday morning, Mitchell said. He was expected to later meet with President Hamid Karzai after their meeting was scrapped on Monday because of bad weather that prevented him traveling to Kabul.
Cheney's spokeswoman said he was not injured in the incident, which came after bad weather forced Cheney to stay overnight at the base during a surprise visit for talks on the fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
"The vice president is safe," spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said. "The vice president is fine."
The attack underlined the fragile security situation in Afghanistan, where Cheney arrived on Monday after a similar unannounced visit to Pakistan as the United States tries to strengthen the battle against Islamic militants.
The attack occurred inside one of the security gates surrounding the heavily guarded base some 60 kilometres north of the capital Kabul.
"It was a suicide bombing. It took place between the main gate and the gate guarded by American soldiers," said Bagram district governor Kabir Ahmad.
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