UPDATE 1-At least nine killed in suicide blast in Afghan capital Kabul

A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in front of an educational center in a mainly Shi'ite area in the west of the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came after several weeks of relative calm in Kabul but previous attacks on Shi'ite targets in the area have been claimed by Islamic State.

The public health ministry said 11 wounded had been brought to city hospitals, in addition to the nine killed.

The attack occurred as the government was facing heavy pressure over a Taliban attack on the central city of Ghazni which led to five days of intense fighting during which hundreds of civilians and members of the security forces were killed.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)