Afghan police: 1 killed, 3 hurt in Afghan bombing

The day marks the adoption of the country's post-Taliban constitution.

The early morning attack in downtown Kabul took place in an area where several government buildings stand, including the finance and defence ministries, said Abdul Saboor, an official with the interior ministry's counter-terrorism unit. He said two police officers and a civilian were wounded.

The bomb went off as the police officer approached the device to defuse it, Saboor said. Associated Press television footage showed the bomb ripped a meter-high hole in the side of a brick building where it had been placed.

The blast, a rarity in Kabul, served as a grim reminder of insurgents' ability to strike at will across the country and was a jarring preamble to the scheduled departure Tuesday of members of a government-appointed peace delegation to Pakistan, where they will meet with Pakistani officials and discuss efforts to launch talks with Taliban rebels.