Troops should leave Afghanistan soon: Berlusconi

Italian prime ministerSilvio Berlusconi said Thursday it would be best for international troops to leave Afghanistan soon but gave no timetable for the withdrawal of Italy's ownforces.

Berlusconi made thecomments following the death of six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians killed by a car bomb that exploded near an Italian military convoy in Kabul. Four Italian soldiers and 48 other peoplewere also injured in the blast.

"We are all convinced it's best for everybody to get out soon," Berlusconi told reporters in Brussels in comments carried on Italian state television.

But he quickly added that Italy is "dealing with an international problem" and said any decision would be made together with Italy's allies.

Berlusconi said Italy planned to bring back the 400 to 500 soldiers who were assigned to Afghanistan specifically to help oversee the recent elections but that those plans were already in place before Thursday's deaths.

Italian defence minister Ignazio La Russa initially said the blast was the result of a suicide bomber ramming his explosives-filled car into two military vehicles in the convoy about noon local time. But in an early evening briefing, he said the 150-kg explosives might have been set off from a distance.

La Russa had also earlier said the blast would not affect Italy's commitment in Afghanistan. But later Thursday, he said the mission would be reviewed.

Italy has 2,800 soldiers in Afghanistan, a force similar in size to Canada's contribution of 2,700 soldiers. Thursday's victims bring the total number of Italian troops who have died in the country to 20, according to Italy's defence ministry.

Thursday's blast was the fourth major attack in the Afghan capital in five weeks.

On Sept. 8, a car bomb exploded near the entrance to the military airport in Kabul in an apparent attack on a NATO convoy that killed three civilians. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack as well.