In Afghanistan, at least 13 foreigners including eight American civilians were killed in two separate militant attacks on Wednesday. U.S. officials said a suicide bomber blew him up in a military base used by the CIA in eastern Khost province bordering Pakistan, killing at least eight U.S. civilians. The bomber eluded security at the facility used by the CIA as an operations and surveillance center. At least one Afghan citizen also died in the blast. Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying it used a rogue Afghan army solider to carry out the attack. Investigations are on to determine how the suicide bomber was able to breach security and enter the base compound. In another incident, four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist were killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by a bomb in southern Kandahar province. The Canadian Defence Ministry said four other Canadian soldiers and a Canadian civilian official were wounded in the blast, which occurred about four kilometres outside the city of Kandahar. The passing year of 2009 has become the most violent since overthrow of Taliban rule in 2001 with killing of more than 500 foreign soldiers.<br/><br/><br/>