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A large explosion rocked Kabul's main diplomatic and government residential district on Tuesday morning killing at least eight civilians and injuring several others.
The blast occurred hours before President Hamid Karzai was expected to attend an anti-corruption conference in the capital.
The explosion occurred near the house of former Afghanistan vice president Ahmad Zia Massoud and was so powerful that it rattled windows of buildings situated hundreds of metres from the blast site.
Emergency services were pressed into service immediately after the blast, and all injured have been shifted to hospitals nearby.
Security officials feared that the casualties might rise with several of injured people stated to be critical.
Television images showed thick black smoke above houses in the Wazir Akbar Khan area, which is home to several government officials, international organisations and diplomatic residences.