Mohammad Ajmal, 26 a shopkeeper in the market adjacent to the embassy, said, “After a very loud explosion, I could barely could stand up” after goods from his shelves spilled over him.

The US condemned the attack, calling it a “needless act of violence”. US national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe, who is accompanying President George W Bush at the G8 Summit in Japan, said: “We condemn this needless act of violence, and offer our sincere condolences to those injured and especially to those families who lost loved ones.”

“Extremists continue to show their disregard for all human life and their willingness to kill fellow Muslims. The United States stands with the people of Afghanistan, as well as India, as we face this common enemy,” Johndroe said.

Condemning the attack, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that no political agenda or grievance can justify such “reprehensive means.” In a statement, he urged the Afghan government to bring those responsible to justice.