Afghan security forces on Saturday shot dead a would-be suicide bomber in Kabul, the National Directorate for Security (NDS) said.

"A would-be suicide bomber named Abbas was killed after personnel of NDS recognized and intercepted him in 17th Police District of Kabul city," the country's spy agency said in a statement.

One explosive vest was seized, the statement said, adding that the killed terrorist belonging to Haqqani terrorist group tried to conduct a suicide attack in a crowded area of the district.

The statement added that the timely respond to the incident has foiled a major terror attack and saved the city, from an expected tragedy.

In an unrelated incident, six Taliban militants were killed and one was wounded following a U.S. airstrike in Shah Wali Kot district of southern Kandahar province on Friday, the command of Afghan Special Forces said in a statement earlier on Saturday.

The killed militants were transporting a heavy machine gun when they came under attack but no civilian was injured by the attack, it said.

Source: XINHUA