Taliban Suicide Bombing Near US Embassy In Kabul Kills At Least 3 NATO Personnel, Injures 13

Update as of 1:55 a.m. EDT: NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said, according to Associated Press, that three of its servicemen have been killed and 13 people have been injured in the bomb blast that took place in the Afghan capital of Kabul early Tuesday. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, in a note sent to journalists, reports said.

According to Agence France-Presse, or AFP, a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle, loaded with explosives, into a convoy carrying foreign troops. The explosion occurred at 8 a.m. local time (11:30 p.m. EDT).

"It was a suicide car bomber targeting a foreign forces convoy along the airport road," Farid Afzali, chief of the city's police investigation department, said according to AFP.

A massive bomb, targeting a foreign military convoy near the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, exploded Tuesday triggering a siren alert at the embassy, and covered the region with smoke. At least one vehicle from the convoy was annihilated in the blast, and according to Agence France-Presse, there were several casualties.

The blast took place near the Supreme Court building and a military base on the road to the international airport, BBC reported, adding that the Taliban have taken responsibility for the suicide bombing. Although there were no confirmed reports of casualty figures, a report from The Globe and Mail, citing a Reuters witness, reported that one foreigner in a uniform was seen lying dead, following the blast.

Farid Afzali, chief of criminal investigations for Kabul police, said that the bomber had targeted a foreign convoy but did not divulge more information on who the convoy belonged to or the exact casualty figure, according to Associated Press. Ambulances rushed to the spot to give first aid. Khaama Press, a local news agency, reported that the convoy belonged to NATO-led coalition forces.

The blast comes as the country is facing a stand-off over presidential elections as both candidates have claimed victory after the June 14 vote, and have accused the other of committing fraud during the polling process. The impasse over determining a new leader has led to an audit of the polls led by the United Nations.