Explosion rocks Kabul city on first day of the new year

NATO soldiers and Afghan security forces arrive at the scene of suicide car bomb attack that targeted foreign military vehicles at Jo-e-Sher in Kabul on October 11, 2015. FILE PHOTO

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan official says a moderately heavy explosion has occurred in the capital, Kabul, but that there were no immediate details on the cause of the blast or possible casualties.

The explosion went off on Friday evening in a central residential area of the city, where many guesthouses are located. The neighborhood is also home to many Afghan officials.

Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says security forces are at the site of the explosion and that police are investigating.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks against the Afghan security forces across the country throughout last year, following the withdrawal of foreign combat forces.