12 killed, 31 injured in Afghan capital suicide explosion: gov't

KABUL - At least 12 people were killed and 31 others wounded after a suicide bomb explosion rocked a government ministry office in western Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, the country's Public Health Ministry said.

"Up to 12 people were killed and 31 others injured in Monday's terrorist attack in Kabul," the ministry tweeted.

The explosion occurred at around 1:00 pm local time (0830 GMT) when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at the front gate of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in Dar-ul-Aman locality, Police District 6 of the city, Hashmat Stanikzai, spokesman of Kabul police, tweeted earlier.

The attack took place when the ministry's employees were leaving the building as the government workers leave at mid-day during the fasting month of Ramadan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

The capital city with a population of nearly 5 million has been hit by series of terror attacks over the past couple of years.

On June 4, 14 people were killed and 17 injured after a suicide bomber struck people who were leaving a meeting of religious scholars in western Kabul.