Suicide bombing in fortified Afghanistan government building kills 3

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber managed to penetrate a heavily guarded Afghanistan government ministry in the heart of the capital today and blow himself up, killing at least three other people and wounding more than a dozen others. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

The scene at the Information and Culture Ministry was one of chaos in the wake of the blast, with officials shouting and police muscling bystanders away.

The attack contributed to a growing sense of insecurity in Kabul, where violence has been increasing even though Western military officials insist that insurgents do not have a significant foothold in the capital.

Broken glass was sprayed onto the busy street in front of the ministry, which is lined with shops. One side of the building collapsed, and the aqua-blue front gates were bent and twisted by the force of the explosion.

Authorities said up to two other assailants were believed to have taken part in the attack but had apparently escaped.

Witnesses and officials gave varying accounts of how the bombing unfolded. There was an exchange of gunfire at the ministry's entrance shortly before the explosion rocked its main hall, according to police at the scene.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told the Associated Press that three attackers had taken part in the bombing, forcing their way through the main gate by throwing hand grenades at the guards.

It was not clear how the armed attackers managed to approach the building. Security in the area is heavy; the presidential palace is only a few hundred yards away.

Kabul has been hit by several high-profile attacks in recent months. In July, about 60 people were killed in a massive truck bombing at the gates of the Indian Embassy. In April, President Hamid Karzai escaped a Taliban-orchestrated assassination attempt as he was attending a military parade.

King is a Times staff writer.

laura.king@latimes.com