Terror attack near hospital and university leaves 26 dead and 18 hurt in Kabul

The Kabul attack has left 26 people dead, officials said, after a suspected suicide car bomb attack. 

The attack took place near Kabul University and Ali Abad Hospital. Security forces have closed off the area. 

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shi'ite shrine as the Afghan capital celebrated the Nawruz holiday marking the start of the Persian new year.

Officials have warned the death toll could rise. 

Nasrat Rahimi, deputy interior ministry spokesman, said the bomber blew himself up near the Kart-e Sakhi shrine, a target of previous militant attacks.

The latest explosion to hit Kabul underlined the threat to the city from militant attacks despite government promises to tighten security in the wake of an attack in January that killed around 100 people.

Today's blast, the latest in a series to have hit Shi'ite targets in Kabul, came as people were walking away from the shrine, near the city's main university.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

The attack came during Nawruz, the Iranian new year. Nawruz, an ancient Persian celebration of the start of spring, is widely celebrated in Afghanistan but has also faced opposition from some fundamentalist Muslims, who say it is un-Islamic.