Kabul  - An explosion, believed to be a suicide car bomb, went off early Tuesday close to the airport of the Afghan capital Kabul, an airport official said.

The official told the German Press Agency dpa that casualties were likely, as the blast was strong enough to break his office windows some distance away, but did not give any further details.

The airport, located east of Kabul, serves both civil and military purposes and is used as a base for international troops in Afghanistan. (dpa)