An Afghan policeman keeps watch after a suicide bomb attack at Finest supermarket in Kabul January 28, 2011. A suicide bomb at the supermarket in the Afghan capital killed eight people, including at least two foreigners, and wounded six, police said. – Photo by Reuters (File)

KABUL: The Afghan authorities have arrested two men allegedly involved in the suicide bombing of a Kabul supermarket popular with Westerners which killed eight people, officials said Thursday.

A spokesman for the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Lutfullah Mashal, said one of the men, Talib Jan, had helped organise the attack from inside prison by giving instructions to visitors.

A second man, Mohammed Khan, is accused of bringing the suicide attacker, 21-year-old Mohammed Shoaib, to Kabul from North Waziristan in Pakistan's lawless tribal district, where many Taliban commanders are based.

He is now in custody, Mashal told a press conference in Kabul. Khan appeared at the press conference, confessing involvement and apologising.

Eight people, all Afghans, were killed in last month's attack at the supermarket, which is located close to many of Kabul's foreign embassies and international offices.

“Mohammed Khan facilated the suicide attack at Finest supermarket in Kabul,” Mashal said.

“The second person was Talib Jan (who) has been in Pul-e-Charkhi prison (in Kabul) for the past three years and was organising suicide attacks from inside the prison by using visitors, instructing them what to do, where to carry out suicide attacks.”Mashal also claimed that the intended target of the attack was two “important” French nationals, possibly diplomats or military, without giving further details. – AFP