Suicide bomber kills five near US embassy in Afghanistan

Several others injured on a busy shopping street near the embassy

KABUL: A suicide bomber blew himself up on a busy shopping street near the heavily-fortified US embassy in central Kabul Tuesday, killing five people and injuring several others.



The blast occurred around 10:00 am (0530 GMT) on a street lined with banks and shops leading to Massoud Square near the United States embassy, close to Kabul's diplomatic area. It was the latest in a series of deadly attacks to hit the Afghan capital, and comes three months after a massive truck bomb ripped through the same area, killing about 150 people.



The blast happened at a time when many officials were expected to be collecting their salaries ahead of this week's Eid holiday.

Kabul Bank, the private bank hit by the blast, usually pays the salaries of security forces personnel and government employees. Images broadcast on Afghan television showed the bank's mangled exterior.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came as banks are busy with people withdrawing money ahead of the Muslim Eid holiday at the end of the week.

"An explosion has happened near Massoud Square in Kabul. We have no more details yet," Najib Danish, a spokesperson for Afghanistan's interior ministry initially told AFP.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly