Taliban are killing 5 civilians to each NATO troop. In other words 80% of the taliban's activities result in civilian deaths, 20% are effective.

Increasing Taliban-linked activities in the shape of roadside and suicide bombings left at least 24 people including five NATO soldiers dead in a single day on Saturday.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a statement confirmed that five soldiers of the alliance have lost their lives in the restive southern and eastern Afghan provinces since early Saturday morning.

"One ISAF service member died as a result of small-arms fire, another died following an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) strike, and a third service member died following an insurgent attack, in eastern Afghanistan today," the statement said.

Two more ISAF service members died following separate IED strikes in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the statement further said.

Furthermore, the Taliban birthplace Kandahar in south Afghanistan was shocked Saturday afternoon as a motorbike bomb ripped through a bazaar killing at least one civilian and destroyed two civilian cars.

"The bomb planted on a motorbike and exploded by remote control in a bazaar in Kandahar city the capital of Kandahar province at 02:50 p.m. local time today. As a result, one civilian was martyred," deputy provincial police chief Fazal Ahmad Khan Shirzad told Xinhua.

Two civilian cars parked in the bazaar were also destroyed in the blast, he further said.

Also on the same day Saturday, a suicide car bomb targeted NATO- led troops' convoy in Ismail Khil district of Khost province in east Afghanistan, a local official said.

The official who declined to be identified told Xinhua that a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosive devices blew himself up near a NATO-led forces' military convoy at around 8 a.m. local time.

Meantime, a Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from unknown location claimed of responsibility, stressing huge casualties were inflicted to the multinational force.

In a related development in Khost's neighboring Paktia province, unknown armed men opened fire on Saturday leaving 13 people all civilians dead, spokesman for provincial administration Rohullah Samoon said.

Also Afghan forces killed a would-be suicide bomber and detained two others on Saturday and thus foiling attempt to storm a military base in the southern Zabul province, Defense Ministry said in a statement released here.

"Three rebels including a suicide bomber attempted to target a base of Afghan national army in Shahjoi district at 07:00 a.m. local time but the troops opened fire killing the suicide bomber on the spot and captured two of his comrades," the statement added.

Meantime, a Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi claimed 11 Afghan soldiers were killed in the clash. However, spokesman for provincial administration Mohammad Jan Rasouli rejected the claim as mere propaganda.

Taliban also set on fire a school in Bust area of Helmand province on Saturday, deputy to provincial police chief Kamaludin Khan said.

Furthermore, clash and explosion left three civilians and one police dead in Gereshk district of the southern and militancy- plagued Helmand province on Saturday while seven others including five civilians and two police were injured, provincial police chief Mohammad Hakim Angar confirmed.

A roadside bomb targeted NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in northern Kunduz province Saturday morning injured two NATO soldiers and damaged two military vehicles, a spokesman with military alliance in the province Lieutenant Colonel Webber said.

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Meantime, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed location said that two roadside bombs organized by the militants destroyed two tanks and inflicted huge casualties on the NATO troops in Chardara district of Kunduz province.