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Huge explosion shakes Afghan capital

26 February 2010 04:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. A huge explosion followed by gunfire shook a commercial district of Kabul early Friday, witnesses in the Afghan capital said, APA reports citing AFP.

The blast was followed by the wail of sirens and a loudspeaker announcement telling residents of the city to stay inside.

There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the blast although a security expert said it was possibly a car bomb.

Scattered gunfire could also be heard after the explosion, which apparently took place in the Shar-I-Naw commercial and shopping district of the city.

Kabul has been relatively peaceful for a month, with the last major incident on January 18 when gunmen stormed the commercial heart of the city, taking over buildings, detonating suicide vests and killing at least five people.

An AFP photographer said the area had been sealed by police, with no vehicles or pedestrians allowed near.

Sporadic gunfire could still be heard over the city half an hour after the initial explosion.