"The attack on the Czech patrol occurred on Wednesday around 1220 GMT near the Bagram base in the Parwan province," the ministry said in a statement.

The five soldiers were injured when an Afghan civilian car loaded with explosives was blown up as the convoy led by an American vehicle was passing by.

The blast swept the Czech vehicle with six soldiers -- the sixth in the convoy -- off the road and made it roll over to its side, Czech army chief of staff Ales Opata told reporters at a Thursday briefing in Prague.

"Initial findings suggest the car had a driver. We can assume this was a suicide attack," he added.

One soldier with serious injuries underwent two surgeries and his life is no longer in danger.

Another with light injuries remained in hospital while the other three were released, the ministry said. The last soldier got away unscathed.

On August 5, three Czech soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing while on patrol in the eastern Parwan province alongside a US soldier and two Afghan soldiers, who were wounded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

It was the deadliest assault on NATO soldiers in many months.

The Lidove noviny broadsheet daily reported on Wednesday that Czech special forces had killed one of the August attackers and captured another, while Czech TV reported "far more" had been killed and captured.

Thirteen Czech soldiers have been killed in NATO missions in Afghanistan.

frj/mas/dl

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