Three foreigners dead at Kabul hospital

A guard at a Kabul hospital run by a US charity has opened fire on staff, killing three foreigners including a doctor, in the latest attack targeting international civilians in the Afghan capital.

The security guard was injured in Thursday's incident at the Cure International hospital and detained by police, officials said, adding that the motive behind the shootings was not immediately known.

"As a result of shooting by a security guard of the Cure hospital ... three foreign nationals have been killed and one female medical staff injured," a statement from the interior ministry said.

"The incident happened at around 9:50 this morning and the attacker has been injured and detained by police. The motive behind this attack is not clear yet."

Cure International is a non-profit organisation founded in 1998 and based in Pennsylvania.

It operates hospitals in 29 countries, and specialises in treating children with conditions including clubfoot, cleft lips, burn injuries and brain diseases.

A doctor who was treating the wounded at the hospital in west Kabul confirmed the incident and said a foreign doctor was among the dead.

Kabul has been hit by a spate of attacks targeting foreign civilians this year, including a Lebanese restaurant where 21 people died, an attack on a luxury hotel and the daylight shooting of a Swedish radio journalist.

There was no immediate comment from Taliban spokesmen on Thursday's hospital attack.