2nd LD Writethru: 2 killed as Taliban bomber hits diplomatic district in Afghan capital

At least two persons were killed and seven others injured after a Taliban suicide bomber struck a foreign guesthouse in a diplomat district in central Kabul on Friday evening, sources said.

"A car bomb was detonated by a terrorist near the gate of a guesthouse belonging to Spanish Embassy at around 05:40 p.m. (local time) in Shairpoor locality. The blast was followed by several warning shots of gunfire," a security source told Xinhua.

Authorities launched an investigation into the incident and details will be released afterwards, the source added.

"The bomber and one bystander were killed and seven others, including security guards and some passersby, were wounded by the blast," witness Mohammad Murtaza told Xinhua.

The injured were shifted to the nearby Emergency Hospital for Victims of War in Shairpoor for treatment, he added.

"The incident might have been a coordinated group attack by militants," the witness said, adding that it seemed that two militants took position inside the attacked building and a gunfire was underway.

Unofficial sources also said that at least three militants were involved in the attack.

Shairpoor and the neighboring Wazir Akbar Khan gave house to several diplomatic compounds and high-ranking officials' residents.

The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April when they launched their annual rebel offensive.

The Taliban have urged civilians to stay away from official gatherings, military convoys and centers regarded as the "legitimate" targets.

Some 38 civilians, 12 security forces and 11 Taliban fighters were killed during a 24-hour-seige, which ended on Wednesday night, against a residential area near an airport in southern Kandahar province. Enditem