Seven people killed in Kabul suicide blast

At least seven people were killed in a suicide bombing yesterday near a gathering of top clerics in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, roughly one hour after the group proclaimed such attacks a sin, police said.

The blast in the western part of the city, near universities and a police academy, is the latest demonstration of the militants' chilling ability to carry out attacks in the heart of Kabul, which is now the deadliest place in the country for civilians.

The bomber detonated at about 11:30 am at the gates of Kabul's Polytechnic University, police and officials said. The Loya Jirga tent where thousands of clerics from across Afghanistan were meeting is on the campus.

The tent is a huge venue often used for top religious or government gatherings.