Two explosions hit Shashdarak area in Kabul city, 25 killed

Two explosions hit Shashdarak area in the latest violence in the heart of the Afghan capital. A suicide attacker on a motorcycle blew himself up near Afghanistan's spy agency on Monday, killing at least 25 civilians including a journalist, officials said. The second explosion explosion hit the area while people were assisting victims of the first explosion.

The Afghan Health Ministry said at least twenty five people have been found dead while 45 wounded were taken to local hospitals, though they fear the number of casualties from the twin attacks may rise.

Agence France-Presse chief photographer Shah Marai was among the dead in the second explosion, which targeted journalists who had come to cover the initial suicide blast.

Mohammad Mousa Zahir, director of Wazir Akbarkhan Hospital, said several people suffering injuries from the blast were being treated at the hospital.

The explosion comes a week after a blast killed 60 people at a voter registration centre in the west of the city.

The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up to legislative elections scheduled for October 20, which are seen as a test-run for next year's presidential poll.