Suicide bomber killed at Kabul passport office gate

• Several people injured in the blast.
• Attacker shot in bid to enter passport office premises.
• Taliban lock down building and streets around area.

KABUL: A suicide bomber was killed at the gate of a passport office in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday, a government spokesman said, and several people were injured in the blast, according to unconfirmed reports.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's interior ministry said the attacker was shot and killed while trying to enter the passport office premises.

One member of the Taliban who was a witness told Reuters multiple people were injured, and the building and streets around the area were locked down by Taliban security forces.

Large crowds of Afghans have been thronging outside the passport office in a bid to get travel documents in recent days after the service was restarted after weeks of suspension.

Officials said that Thursdays are reserved as a special day for Taliban officials to visit the passport office to make travel documents.