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By Kamal Sadat

KHOST, Afghanistan, May 20 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 10 civilians and wounded at least 30 other people in a crowded market in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktia on Sunday, officials said.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

In Ghazni province, NATO and Afghan forces battled Taliban fighters in the Qara Bagh district late on Saturday. The provincial governor said 30 Taliban were killed, 18 were wounded and 12 were arrested, while three police officers were missing and one was wounded.

"We had very authentic information that a large number of Taliban militants were in the area and they were planning a massive attack on us and allied forces and that's why we launched this operation," said Ali Shah Maikyar, a spokesman for the governor.

Taliban insurgents have stepped up attacks in Afghanistan after a traditional winter lull in fighting. The Taliban has said it has trained hundreds of suicide bombers.

NATO said it called in artillery and air strikes when its patrol was attacked and a "large number of Taliban fighters" were killed.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf said only two Taliban militants had been killed and three wounded.

BOMBER HITS MARKET

The Paktia bomber's apparent target was a convoy of U.S.-led coalition soldiers passing through the market in the city of Gardez, about 100 km (60 miles) south of the capital Kabul.

"Unfortunately we have a report today that at 9:40 a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Gardez roundabout," the Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement. "Ten civilians were martyred and about 30 others were wounded."

Television video from the scene showed body parts scattered in the street amid wrecked cars and debris. A local official said the bomber did not appear to be an Afghan.

"We claim responsibility for the (Gardez) attack. It was a suicide attack," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. "Our Afghan mujahid (holy warrior) carried it out."

A spokesman for U.S.-led coalition forces said some foreign troops were hurt at the scene but it was not certain whether the injuries were caused by the bomb.

A spate of attacks in the last week followed the death of the insurgents' top operational commander, Mullah Dadullah, in a raid last weekend. His death was considered the biggest blow to the Taliban since they were driven from power in 2001.

The Taliban also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Saturday in a crowded market in the northern city of Kunduz. Nine people, including three German soldiers, were killed.

German troops patrol northern areas of Afghanistan, which have been relatively safe until recently.

"The Taliban are striving to restart their activities in the province," said General Mohammad Ayub Salangi, the security commander in Kunduz province.

One of the 12 people injured in the Kunduz blast was in very serious condition while six others have been released from hospital, he said. (Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul and Tahir Qadiry in Mazar-i-Sharif)

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