2nd LD Writethru: 4 killed, 41 injured in suicide bombing near Afghan capital

Four people were killed and 41 others wounded in a suicide bomb attack in western outskirts of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, police said.

"The attack took place at the center of Paghman district after a terrorist rammed a car bomb into the first gate of the district' s administrative office building, killing four people and injuring 41 others," Kabul police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi told reporters near the site.

The building was destroyed and several shops and houses were damaged by the blast which took place at around 11:20 a.m. (local time), he said.

Two police officers and a woman were among the killed and the attacker was also killed in the blast, according to Rahimi.

Unofficial sources said that the district criminal investigation department police chief was killed following the attack.

The injured, including seven women and four children, were shifted to Kabul hospitals, the police chief noted.

Paghman, which is famous for accommodating several historic sites and gardens, is located some 20 km west of Kabul.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Nearly 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,300 others wounded in conflicts and attacks in the first half of the year, according to UN mission figures.

The officials blamed the attacks of Taliban insurgents and other armed groups for vast majority of the civilian deaths and injuries. Endi