According to police, the attacker detonated a car filled with explosives near the country's parliament, building killing himself and six others.
The dead included three civilians and one police officer. Kabul Police Chief Esmatullah Daulatzai said the suicide attacker blew up the car after police officers tried to stop him.
"A taxi was coming from Darul-Aman toward the city. Then police identified the taxi and tried to stop it and open the door of the taxi, the attacker set off explosives," Dauladzai said. "The attacker and his car exploded into pieces."
At least four people were wounded in the blast. The attacker's target was not known.
It was the third suicide bombing in the Afghan capital this year.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said today that he met with Taliban militants in attempts to bring peace to the country.
Karzai made his comments at a news conference in Kabul. He did not disclose details of the meetings or indicate if they included talks with senior militant leaders.
Karzai urged supporters of the fundamentalist Islamic militia to lay down their arms and join his government but ruled out any deals with foreign militants.
(compiled from agency reports)
Afghanistan And Pakistan
ACROSS A DIFFICULT BORDER. The contested border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is some 2,500 kilometers long and runs through some of the most rugged, inhospitable territory on Earth. Controlling that border and preventing Taliban militants from using Pakistan as a staging ground for attacks in Afghanistan is an essential part of the U.S.-led international coalition's strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan. Officials in Kabul have been pointing their fingers at Pakistan for some time, accusing Islamabad or intelligence services of turning a blind eye to cross-border terrorism targeting the Afghan central government. Many observers remain convinced that much of the former Taliban regime's leadership -- along with leaders of Al-Qaeda -- are operating in the lawless Afghan-Pakistani border region.... (more)
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