Blast rocks Afghan capital near contractor compound

The blast occurred on Monday morning close to a checkpoint near the airport.

The bombing marks the latest assault on the war-scarred Afghan capital.

“The bomber detonated his suicide vest… near Kabul airport”.

Hours after the Indian Consulate was attacked in Aghanistan’s Mazar-e-Sharif, a heavy exchange of fire is taking place on Monday.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack or the Balkh siege but the Taliban have stepped up their attacks against Afghan security forces across the country.

It believes the target was a convoy of foreign forces but the claim has not been confirmed by police.

“The suspected house where the armed men have taken over is near the residential area, so we are careful to avoid civilian casualties”.

Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber struck a street leading to Kabul airport, but no casualties were reported besides the attacker. On Friday a suicide attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners and wealthy Afghans killed a boy and a security guard.

Fifteen others were wounded in the attack on Le Jardin, an Afghan-owned eatery, which caused a piercingly loud explosion and left a building engulfed in flames.

Islamabad is set to host a first round of dialogue between Afghanistan, Pakistan, the USA and China on January 11 to lay out a comprehensive roadmap for peace.