Suicide blast kills 3 near Kabul stadium

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a cricket stadium in the Afghan capital Kabul yesterday, killing three people including a policeman and wounding five others, police said.

The attacker detonated the bomb after he was stopped at a security checkpoint by suspicious police as he walked towards Kabul's main cricket ground where a match was under way.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly assaults in the city.

"The security forces by sacrificing themselves have prevented the attacker from reaching the crowd (inside the stadium) and creating a catastrophe," police spokesman Basir Mujahid told AFP.

Two of the wounded were police officers.

Scores of police blocked the road leading to the stadium where the sixth match of the Shpageeza Cricket League, a domestic T20 tournament, between the Boost Defenders and Mis Ainak Knights was under way.

A handful of foreign players are also taking part in the competition which started Monday.

Hundreds of spectators could be heard from outside the stadium as firefighters washed down the road where the bomber had blown himself to bits.

Afghanistan Cricket Board spokesman Farid Hotak told AFP the match was briefly interrupted and "all players and cricket board officials are safe".