The explosion ignited a fire inside the store and mounds of canned goods and other merchandise were strewn across the floor. — Photo by AP

KABUL: Seven bodies were removed from the site of a suicide bombing at a supermarket in central Kabul, an AFP correspondent saw, and police said three female foreigners were among the dead.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

An AFP reporter saw seven bodies, including those of at least one woman and one child.

“A suicide bomber got into the supermarket and blew himself up,” said an officer at the scene on condition of anonymity.

Kabul police spokesman Hasmatullah Stanikzai confirmed the explosion.

“The explosion took place at the finest supermarket in the centre of Kabul near many embassies,” he said.

“Three female foreigners were killed in the attack and also three male employees of the supermarket were injured,” he later said, though he could not confirm the nationalities of the dead.

Head of Kabul police Mohammad Zahir confirmed it was a suicide attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP that its rebels were responsible for the attack, claiming it targeted private security contractors.

“Some employees and the head of Blackwater, a private security firm, who were shopping in a supermarket in Kabul have been attacked by one of our men,” Mujahid said.

“We claim credit for this attack”.

He said the attacker first opened fire in the supermarket before blowing himself up and killing several people, including the private security staff.