Afghan officials say a suicide attack in Kabul has killed at least seven people.

Kabul deputy police chief Gul Agha Rohani said a vehicle packed with explosives blew up near a crowded area in the Muradkhani district where the presidential palace, the Defense Ministry, and Ministry of Finance are located.

The head of hospitals in the Afghan capital, Kabir Amiri, said at least 22 people "including women and children" were wounded.

The explosion was the latest violence to shake Afghanistan while President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah are visiting the United States.

Ghani is to address the U.S. Congress on March 25. 

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP