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Friday, August 16, 2002 - Web posted at 9:54:51 am GMT

KABUL, Aug 16 (AFP) - A bomb exploded outside the communications ministry in Kabul overnight but caused no casualties, a spokesman for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Friday.

"At 10:40 pm local time (1910 GMT), an explosion occurred outside the Ministry for Communications," Major Steve Odell said.

"We believe that the device may have been thrown from a passing car. There were no casualties," he said.

The blast caused limited damage to the front of the building, he said.

Investigations revealed the bomb contained explosives equal in power to about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of TNT, Odell said.

The car from which the device was believed to have been thrown left the scene without being identified.

"We can tell you that this was not an accident, but rather a deliberate action," Interior Ministry General Mir Jahan told Nampa-AFP.

Police officers remained at the spot Friday morning and were continuing their investigation.

The threat of terrorism remains high in Afghanistan ten months after the fall of the hardline Islamic Taliban with many sympathisers remaining in the country.

br/dp/hw/cl Nampa-AFP WEB story ENDS (NAMPA 160902)

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