8 die in Kabul supermarket blast: Afghan police

A bomb exploded inside a grocery store frequented by foreigners today in Kabul, killing at least eight people and injuring others, police and eyewitnesses said.

A bomb exploded inside a grocery store frequented by foreigners on Friday in Kabul, killing at least eight people and injuring others, police and eyewitnesses said.

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Three foreigners and a child were among the dead, Kabul Police chief Mohammad Ayub Salangi told reporters at the scene. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack was against a US-based security contractor.

The explosion, which also injured six other people, ignited a fire inside the store. Mounds of canned goods and other merchandise were strewn across the floor of the smoke-filled building, making it difficult for police officers to walk around.

"I was inside the store," Mary Hayden, a Western consultant, said recounting the attack.

"To my left, I heard a gunshot. A bomb went off. Everyone was running to the back of the building."

A large plume of gray smoke was seen above the store, which is situated in the heavily guarded Wazir Akbar Khan district, an area favored by foreigners and wealthy Afghans.

In a text message sent to reporters, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid wrote: "It was an attack on the chief of Blackwater."

The police chief said investigators had not yet confirmed whether the attack was conducted by a suicide bomber.