A blast took place in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in downtown Kabul on Wednesday afternoon.

At least five civilians were killed and several others were wounded in the blast, a spokesman for the Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran, said.

He said the Islamic Emirate condemns such "heinous" attacks and will punish the perpetrators.

He said the explosion happened on the street of the Foreign Ministry.

Zadran added that security forces have arrived at the scene.

Photos from the blast scene on social media show bodies of victims on the street.

Victims of the blast near the foreign ministry in Kabul were taken to the Emergency Hospital.

TOLOnews' footage shows some residents of Kabul waiting outside the hospital, looking for their relatives who have been harmed in the blast.

This comes as the Emergency hospital in Kabul said in a statement that it has received more than 40 patients from today's blast.

“We have received more than 40 patients in the hospital, it is difficult to draw up a final number, we are continuing to respond,” explains Stefano Sozza, EMERGENCY’s Country Director in Afghanistan said as quoted in the statement.

“This is the first mass casualty in 2023, but certainly one of those with the most patients since the beginning of 2022. So much so that we have also set up beds in the kitchens and canteen.”

The attack faced reactions at national and international levels.

Former President Hamid Karzai in a tweet “strongly” condemned the blast and called it a terrorist act and said it is against human and Islamic values.

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack.

"Violence is not part of any solution to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan.

"Our condolences to the families affected," UNAMA said.

The Chargé d'Affaires UK Mission to Afghanistan Hugo Shorter in a tweet condemned the attack and said "the UK rejects such senseless and indiscriminate acts of violence."

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.