Huge blast hits India embassy in Kabul

A huge blast has hit the center of the Afghan capital city of Kabul, killing at least 12 people and injuring 83 others, says Afghanistan's Interior Ministry.

Police said on Thursday that the explosion took place outside the Indian embassy in central Kabul.

The blast came from a bomb placed inside a car at the scene, police said, but it was not immediately clear if it was a suicide attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash confirmed that all embassy personnel were safe

"There has been some damage to the embassy property. We are closely monitoring the situation," Prakash was quoted as saying by Reuters.

He added that it was too early to speculate who could be behind the attack.

Last year, a Taliban suicide car bomber attacked the Indian embassy and killed 58 people, including two senior Indian diplomats, and wounded 141 others.

Indian authorities blamed the Pakistani intelligence service for last year's blast.