MOSCOW, March 9 (RIA Novosti) – At least nine people were killed by a suicide bomber outside the Afghan Defense Ministry in Kabul as the new US Pentagon chief visited the country, local media reported on Saturday.

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the ministry’s gates, killing nine civilians and injuring 10 others, Pajhwok news agency has reported.

The explosion occurred shortly after Chuck Hagel arrived in Afghanistan on his first trip abroad as US defense secretary.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the Afghan capital, and saying it was meant as a message to Hagel.

Aljazeera said citing a US defense official Hagel was not at the site of the blast and was in a ‘safe location’ at a coalition facility.