30 Oct 2008

Suicide attack targets Afghan ministry

9:06 pm on 30 October 2008

A suicide bomber has blown himself up inside an Afghan ministry in Kabul, causing a number of casualties.

The attack took place at the information and culture ministry, in the centre of the capital, causing massive damage on Thursday.

The Information Ministry says at least five people are known to have been killed or injured.

Security around ministry buildings in Kabul is usually very tight and attacks such as this are not common.

A ministry worker told a BBC reporter at the scene that two or three men fought their way past security into the building. One of them was wearing an explosive device which he then detonated.

Many of the six-storey building's windows were blown out by the force of the blast, and some windows in neighbouring buildings were also blown out.

The atmosphere outside the ministry is chaotic and very tense, with a heavy police presence, our correspondent says, and there is speculation that one of the bomber's accomplices could still be in the area.

There has been a reduction of violence in the city over the past year, but a sense of insecurity and uncertainty is still present.