An explosion has hit the Afghan capital Kabul near the parliament, on a day NATO forces formally hand over security to national forces.

Tuesday's blast occurred at around 9am local time in an area called Karta-e Seh, a Kabul police source said.

It came as hundreds of local and international officials gathered on the capital's outskirts ahead of a ceremony to mark the beginning of the final phase of security transition to Afghan forces across the nation.

Less than a week ago, a deadly suicide car bomb struck a buss carrying employees of the Supreme Court in Kabul and killed at least 17 people. The blast on June 12 also injured 40 others, according to officials.

PHOTO CAPTION

Smoke billows from the site of an explosion in Kabul June 10, 2013.

Al-Jazeera