KABUL: Twin blasts in the Afghan capital Kabul killed 25 people on Monday,including journalists who had arrived to report on the first explosion andwho were apparently targeted by a suicide bomber in a second attack,officials said.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee said seven journalists had beenkilled and French news agency Agence France-Presse confirmed that its chiefphotographer in Afghanistan, Shah Marai, was among the dead. A Reutersphotographer was slightly wounded.

Najib Danish, spokesman for the interior ministry, said the suicide bomberappeared to have posed as a journalist and blew himself up where reportersand emergency health officials were standing.

The attack came a week after 60 people were killed as they waited at avoter registration center in the west of Kabul, underlining the continuinginsecurity in the capital despite official pledges to tighten defenses.

Hashmat Stanakzai, a senior Kabul police official, said 25 people werekilled and 49 were seriously wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, the official said.

Wahidullah Majroh, spokesman for the health ministry, said at least sixjournalists were among the wounded.

The first bomb exploded in the Shashdarak area close to buildings of theNDS intelligence service, followed by one outside the ministry of urbandevelopment and housing, just as people were entering the government office.

Taliban militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic lawto Afghanistan, announced their usual spring offensive last week and therehas been heavy fighting in several areas of the country since. – Agencies