Two killed in suicide bomb attack in Afghan capital

Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for bombing foreign-run military compound.

KABUL: A suicide bomber killed two Afghan guards outside a foreign-run military compound in the main diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, Interior Ministry officials said, an attack that was quickly claimed by the Taliban.

"The bomber killed himself in front of the compound. Two people were killed and two more were wounded, all Afghan guards," said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh.

Dozens of police swarmed to the area, where shattered glass from cars lay on the ground, and cordoned it off.

It was not immediately clear which foreign forces run the compound, although Afghan security officials said it is US-run. A spokeswoman at the US embassy in Kabul said its security team was investigating the blast.

The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, which happened at 8:20am (0350 GMT) local time, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Embassy sirens sounded and ambulances could be heard after the blast, which happened in the area where the US and British embassies and the headquarters of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are located.

A spokesman for ISAF said the coalition was aware of an explosion and that one of its vehicles had been damaged.