A suicide bomber killed nine civilians and wounded 14 as he blew himself up near a Defense Ministry gate in Kabul on Saturday, as newly appointed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the country, underlying the instability in the country ahead of the total withdrawal of NATO troops.
According to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Hagel was nowhere near the Ministry at the time of the explosion.
The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, adding in a statement that the attack "is a kind of message" for Hagel.