At least eight people have been killed and six others injured in a suicide attack near a police checkpoint in Kabul.

According to Police spokesman Basir Mujahid, the attacker detonated his suicide vest today close to the checkpoint near a school in central Kabul. There is no immediate claim of responsibility for the suicide attack.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the area earlier in the day to protest the lack of security in two Afghan provinces, Ghazni and Uruzgan, especially in districts populated mostly by the Shiite Hazara minority.

According to Afghan TV channel, Tolo News, the protest started spontaneously by a few people last night but numbers swelled to hundreds by this morning.

The protesters dispersed after President Ashraf Ghani spoke to them over the phone and assured them of sending reinforcement to Malistan and Jaghori district of the Ghazni province.

Meanwhile, officials in another Afghan province Farah say around 34 persons, including 30 local policemen were killed in a Taliban attack on police outposts in Khak e Afghan district last night. Taliban also took four policemen with them as hostages.

Dadullah Qani, a member of Farah provincial council, said children and women were also among the casualties.