Two US soldiers were killed by Taliban forces in Afghanistan on Friday, an American military official said.

They died during a bomb attack on a Nato convoy in the east of the country.

Meanwhile, at least six Afghan troops were killed after a suicide bomber destroyed a bus in the capital Kabul on Saturday.

A senior court official was also assassinated and 12 Afghan workers were gunned down in the south.

Taliban fighters claimed responsibility for all the attacks and vowed more bloodshed ahead of the official end of Nato's combat mission on December 31.

It has wrecked claims the insurgency is weakening and highlighted fears Afghanistan could descend into a spiral of violence as the US-led military presence declines.

Nato's force will change at the end of the month from a combat mission to a support role, with troop numbers cut to about 12,500 - down from a peak of 130,000 in 2010.

Earlier on Saturday, Taliban gunmen shot dead a senior Supreme Court official as he left his home in the capital.

Taliban fighters also killed 12 workers clearing mines in southern Helmand province.

"Taliban gunmen suddenly attacked the deminers with machinegun fire and rockets as they were busy clearing a minefield," said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the Helmand provincial government.

Afghan troops fought with the attackers, killing two insurgents and capturing four others.

Originally posted at 14:21