The attack happened near the Russian embassy in the Karte Seh area of the Afghan capital, ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP news agency. "We fear casualties from the bombing," he added.

Spokesman of the Ministry of the Interior, Sediq Sediqi, tweeted information about the number of casualties.

Sediqi also confirmed that civilians were targeted in the attack.

Plumes of smoke rose up to the sky following the explosion as ambulances and fire fighters rushed to the scene, eye witnesses said. No organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack comes just two days after Afghan and Pakistani officials met with representatives from China and the United States in Kabul to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban in a bid to end a 15-year-long insurgency in the country.

mg/kms (Reuters, dpa, AFP)