Suicide blast kills one in Kabul police chief’s office

KABUL: A suicide bomber walked into the offices of the Kabul police chief on Sunday and detonated his explosives, killing a senior aide in an attack that highlighted poor security procedures in the Afghan capital.

Kabul police chief Zahir Zahir told AFP that the attacker had penetrated the force´s heavily-guarded headquarters by wearing a police uniform.

"I´m fine, but one of my best officers, my chief of staff Yassin Khan, was killed and six were wounded," Zahir said, speaking just an hour after the explosion rocked central Kabul.

"It was a suicide bomber with police uniform on. As he was stopped trying to enter my room, he detonated his explosives.

"We are investigating how he entered the police headquarters."

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

"This morning at around 9:00 am, a martyrdom attack was carried out against the enemy which killed a lot of them," Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said on his Twitter account.

"The attack was carried out by Maulawi Yaya Badakhshani inside Kabul police HQ while foreign advisors and police were meeting."

There were no immediate reports of foreign casualties, and the Taliban often exaggerate death tolls after attacks.

Kabul is regularly hit by Taliban bombings, with the military, police and government officials among those targeted despite heightening security with multiple checkpoints, guard posts and armed convoys. (AFP)