Afghanistan Kabul Suicide Bombing

© AFP

Kabul suicide bombing kills 20 - A suicide bomber has killed 20 people at a police headquarters in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say.

At least 25 others were wounded in the blast in the west of the city, the interior ministry said.

Some reports suggest most of those killed and injured were police officers. Earlier reports said most of the dead were civilians.

The Taliban said they carried out the bombing - one of a string of attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in recent months.

Monday's attack happened at the entrance of the headquarters of the National Civil Order Police, a unit that has a counterinsurgency role against the Taliban.

Officials initially blamed a suicide car bomber, but later said the attacker had joined people queuing to get into the police station before he detonated his explosives.

"I saw three dead bodies on the ground and a number of other people wounded, then ambulances arrived and took all the victims away from the attack site," one man told Reuters news agency.

The bombing follows a spate of attacks in January, one of which killed seven staff from the Tolo media group in Kabul. Several other attacks were near foreign diplomatic missions.

There has been speculation that the attacks may be aimed at destabilising attempts to revive peace talks with the Taliban.

Others have suggested that the Taliban's winter offensive may be an attempt by their new leader to strengthen his hand in any talks.