The suicide bombing on a US base in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees was carried out by a Jordanian who was an al-Qaeda triple agent, according to a US media report.

Citing Western intelligence officials, NBC News reported the bomber was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a 36-year-old doctor who was working for Jordanian intelligence DPA reported.

Al-Balawi was arrested more than a year ago by Jordanian intelligence, was believed to have been reformed, and sent off to Afghanistan and Pakistan to infiltrate al-Qaeda.

But he apparently had not left the terrorist organization. Western officials said he contacted his Jordanian handler and said he needed to meet urgently with the CIA team at the base in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan, NBC reported on Monday.

He detonated an explosive-laden vest that also killed his Jordanian handler.