2 die in attack inside Afghan Defence Ministry

A man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire in the ministry in central Kabul, killing two employees and wounding seven, said Defence Ministry spokesman Zaher Azimy.

The man was also wearing a suicide-bomb belt, but did not have time to detonate it, said Azimy, who had earlier described the man as a soldier rather than an insurgent in army uniform.

“The attacker was shot dead before he set off his explosives, and the situation is normal,” he said.

 The attack comes months before the start of a transfer of security responsibilities from foreign to Afghan forces, and after Nato-led troops claimed solid progress in efforts to bolster the numbers and quality of the Afghan police and army.

Under the gradual transition programme, Afghan forces will begin by taking over from foreign troops in just a few areas, but should have control of the whole country by the end of 2014.