KABUL: The Taliban claimed responsibility today for an attack by a suicide bomber on a US base in eastern Afghanistan that killed eight Americans reportedly working for the CIA.

The claim follows one of the deadliest days for foreigners in Afghanistan since a US-led invasion pushed the Taliban regime from power in 2001, sparking the insurgency that is becoming deadlier by the month. Five Canadians, including a woman journalist, were killed on Tuesday when a roadside bomb — the Taliban weapon of choice — exploded beneath their armoured vehicle in a southern militant stronghold.

“We claim responsibility for the attack,” purported Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told AFP over phone from an undisclosed location.

The US government said eight Americans were killed in the attack on a military base in Khost province on Wednesday.

The Taliban spokesman, however, claimed the attack killed 16 Americans.

“Yesterday evening on a base near the old airport in Khost city a suicide bomber by the name of Samiullah committed a suicide attack by detonating his vest and killed 16 Americans,” said Mujahid.

“Samiullah was our man. He exploded his vest among CIA officers and killed 16 of them,” he said.

The Pentagon said the base was close to the border with Pakistan, but has refused to comment on US media reports that the dead were all CIA agents. The Washington Post newspaper said most of the eight probably worked for the CIA, which it said was using the Chapman base.

A suicide bomber managed to penetrate the base’s defences, detonating an explosives belt in a room described as a base gym.

The attack appeared to have killed more US intelligence personnel than have died since the US-led invasion in 2001, it said, adding the agency has acknowledged the deaths of four CIA officers in Afghanistan since then.

Afghan defence ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said Taliban claims that the suicide bomber was an army officer were baseless.

“We did not have forces in that camp. It can be only an allegation,” he said.

The five Canadians were killed in a roadside bombing

in the Taliban stronghold

of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, said General Daniel Menard, the head

of Canadian forces in the country.

Public television station CBC identified the journalist as Michelle Lang, a reporter with the Calgary Herald.

The deaths raised to 138 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Canada has some 2,800 troops deployed in the Kandahar region, due to return home in 2011.