Blast in Kabul, Close to U.S. Embassy

(Kabul, Afghanistan) A suicide car bomber blasted Kabul this morning near the U.S. Embassy.

Initial reports said that four civilians died in the attack, which coincides with a fact-finding visit to Afghanistan from a delegation of the United Nations Security Council.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashiry told the Times: "There are three killed and seven injured. All the casualties are civilians. The target of the attack was foreign (Western) forces." [...]

The blast left several cars and a bus badly damaged, a large pool of blood was splashed across the road and a nearby tree was set ablaze. The body of the suicide bomber lay near the mangled remains of what appeared to have been the car bomb.

There was no immediate claim of responbibility, though the Taliban or its increasingly radical 'Haqqani Network' offshoot will be the prime suspects.

Hospitals have received 15 injured.