Only minutes after Friday morning's suicide attack on the U.S. Consulate in Herat, Afghan security forces in Paktika province were able to thwart an attack in the Sar-e-Rowza district by identifying a truck loaded with explosives before it reached its target.

Rohullah Samoon, spokesman of the Paktika Governor, said the truck was on its way to Sharana city and stopped around 6:00am, just 30 minutes after the Taliban claimed attack in Herat was launched.

The truck in Paktika was identified by the security forces on a road in Sar-e-rowza district. Once his payload was discovered, the driver of the truck detonated the explosives.

Mr. Samoon said the suicide bomber died and seven Afghan security officers were injured in the blast. He said the magnitude of the explosion was so strong that it left 15 meter deep crater in the ground.

Earlier in the morning, Taliban militants launched a coordinated suicide attack on the U.S. consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat, killing at least three people and wounding 21 others.