Afghanistan ? A bomb exploded aboard a minibus carrying Afghans to work at a coalition air base Thursday, killing seven, as U.S.-led forces launched a sweeping anti-Taliban offensive across southern Afghanistan.

The morning rush-hour bombing marked the first major attack targeting Afghan coalition employees – apparently a new Taliban tactic.

The bomb, which also wounded 17, was hidden inside a bus that takes workers daily to Kandahar Airfield, headquarters for coalition troops in the south. Among those killed were interpreters and laborers for the air base, Afghan officials said.

Military spokesman Maj. Quentin Innis blamed Taliban militants for the attack, which left blood and body parts strewn across the road in downtown Kandahar.