Afghan police: 1 killed, 3 hurt in Afghan bombing

Associated Press Amir Shah, Associated Press – Tue Jan 4, 1:45 am ET

KABUL, Afghanistan – A bomb blast in the Afghan capital killed a police officer and wounded three other people early Tuesday, a government official said, on the day marking the adoption of the country's post-Taliban constitution.

The blast, a rarity in Kabul, served as a grim reminder of insurgents' ability to strike at will across the country. It was a jarring preamble to the scheduled departure Tuesday of members of a government-appointed peace delegation to Pakistan, where they will meet with Pakistani officials and discuss efforts to launch talks with Taliban rebels.

The early morning attack in downtown Kabul took place in an area where several government buildings stand, including the finance and defense ministries, said Abdul Saboor, an official with the interior ministry's counterterrorism unit. He said two police officers and a civilian were wounded.

The bomb went off as the police officer approached the device to defuse it, Saboor said.