By Zabihullah Tamanna

KABUL, (AA): At least nine people were killed and another 13 wounded on Saturday when a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Afghan Defense Ministry, Afghan authorities have said. The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing, asserting that at least 23 officers had been killed in the attack and 29 others injured

The explosion occurred in a district of capital Kabul while ministry staff were leaving the building for the day.

According to Kabul Police Chief General Abdul Rahman Rahimi, nine people, including civilians, were killed by the blast.

“At least nine people were killed and 13 others were wounded,” Rahimi told Anadolu Agency..

The attack on the ministry came only hours after another suicide bomb attack killed at least 14 people — and injured 40 others — in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.

According to local officials, the suicide bomber, riding a motorbike, targeted a local militia commander outside the governor’s office in provincial capital Asadabad on Saturday morning.

The twin attacks come following quadrilateral talks in Kabul between officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the U.S. and China aimed at paving the way for the resumption of direct peace talks with the Taliban.

[Photo: Afghani security forces capture 85 Taliban militants as they surrendered during an operation at Faryab province of Afghanistan on February 27, 2016. Photographer: Mohammad Hassan Abdullah/AA]