MOSCOW, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - At least 17 people were killed on Thursday by a suicide car bomb attack outside the Indian embassy in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, local officials said.

The Indian embassy said none of its employees were injured in the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it had targeted the embassy, which is located near the Afghan Interior Ministry building.

The ministry said at least 63 people were injured.

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters in India that the embassy's walls had been reinforced after a bombing in July 2008, and withstood the force of the blast. He said the attacker "came up to the outside wall of the embassy with a car loaded with explosives".