The uptick in violence in the capital comes as the Taliban escalate nationwide attacks, underscoring the worsening security situation and the heavy price paid by civilians since North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces ended their combat mission at the end of 2014.
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One civilian was also killed and six others injured in the attack and firefight which lasted 11-hour, it said.
It was earlier reported that one civilian had died.
Sporadic gun firing and explosions were also heard early Tuesday as security forces exchanged fire with gunmen who seized a building in central Kabul, a security source said.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement: “Police special forces immediately reached the site of the attack and started rescuing people from the building”.
Public Health Ministry spokesman Ismail Kawasi says another 91 people were wounded in Monday’s attack, which was claimed by the Taliban.
Afghan security personnel walk at the site of a auto bomb blast that targeted the CARE International compound at Shar-e-Naw in Kabul on September 6, 2016.
A tweet from CARE officials on Tuesday evening said all of the charity’s staff members were safe.
The latest incident struck a prosperous business and residential area of Kabul, home to several guest houses and where many foreigners and diplomats live.
Security forces have blocked all the roads leading to Shar-e Now.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the defence ministry was the object of the first attack, while police were targeted in the second.
Two weeks ago, fighters attacked the American University in Kabul, killing 13 people. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
Like most government offices, the Defense Ministry is located in the heart of old Kabul, surrounded by a bustling market, which is frequented by thousands of pedestrians and vehicles daily. Senior police investigator Faredoon Obiadi said the suicide attacker was wearing military uniform.
Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah appeared to indirectly blamed Pakistan for the attacks.
“President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement, saying ‘the enemies of Afghanistan have lost their ability to fight the Security and Defense Forces of the country and thus attack highways, cities, mosques, schools and common people'”.
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“[Monday’s] awful attacks showed we still have to work to go after those entities on the ground, Taliban and others, and rule them out if they are going to continue to carry out those kinds of attacks”, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.
