"In Malik Asghar Square... a suicide attacker before reaching the target was identified at a check point and killed, but his explosives detonated," said Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. He said several people were injured, including three Taliban security force members, Reuters reported.
He did not name the target, but the blast took place in a busy downtown area near a checkpoint that guards a heavily fortified street housing several government buildings, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nearby Emergency Hospital, which is run by an Italian NGO, had received 12 wounded patients and two dead bodies, its country director said.
Kabul and other urban areas have been hit by several attacks in recent months, some of which have been claimed by Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorists.
A blast in January killed at least five people and injured dozens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as employees streamed out of the building at the end of the working day.
The Monday's incident took place around lunchtime, when the city is especially crowded as government office staff leave early for the day during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.