The bomb killed five American soldiers in the southern province of Kandahar. Two other NATO troops were killed by an Afghan army soldier in the far west of the country.

The U.S. has paid $50,000 in compensation for each victim killed.

The army leader faces 17 counts of murder and 6 counts of attempted murder.

An American soldier left his southern Afghanistan base and went house to house in two villages, killing 16 people and wounding others, CNN reported on Sunday.

The deadly incident, which occurred in Kandahar's Panjwayi district, could trigger further tensions between foreign troops and Afghan civilians, many of whom were angered by the burning of Qurans by American forces last month.

The arrested include a Karzai bodyguard and university professor.