The death toll from a bomb blast outside a police station in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has risen to 20, the Interior Ministry said.

"As a result of the terrorist attack this afternoon... 20 people were martyred and 29 others were wounded," the ministry said on Monday.

The incident took place earlier on Monday after a bomber detonated his explosives while queuing along with other people to enter an office of the civil order police.

Deputy Interior Minister Ayub Salangi said earlier that the majority of the victims are civilians. Some reports, however, said most of those killed are police officers.

The Taliban issued a statement and claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said some 40 police officers were killed or injured in the bomb blast.

Afghanistan’s National Civil Order Police was established to control urban disorder and riots. It has also been used in counterinsurgency roles against the Taliban.

 Officials initially said the blast was caused by a car bomb, but later blamed a man for the incident.

The Monday attack followed a series of attacks that rocked the capital in January. In one incident, seven staff from a private television channel were killed.

Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.