Blast near foreign contractor's car in Kabul, at least one killed 

KABUL: A strong blast which rocked Kabul early Friday was a car bomb targeting foreign troops that killed at least one person and wounded four, the Afghan interior ministry said.

It was not immediately clear if the explosion was a bomb. The blast hit "an international contractor company's car", interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP, adding that the four wounded were all civilians.

Local media showed images of damage to houses and shops in the area.

If confirmed as an attack, it would be the latest to hit Kabul, which is one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians as both the Taliban and the expanding Islamic State group step up their assaults on the city.

The explosion also comes just days after Afghan president Ashraf Ghani unveiled a plan for peace talks with the Taliban, including a proposal to eventually recognise them as a political party.

Ghani revealed his plans in a speech during international peace talks in Kabul this week that went better than expected, with officials in Washington daring to hold out hope that the longest war in its history may be heading to a negotiated settlement.

But Kabul remains on high alert, fearing further violence. 

Since mid-January, militants have stormed a luxury hotel, bombed a crowded street, raided a military compound and launched a suicide attack during morning rush hour in the capital, killing more than 130 people.