Afghanistan's vice president Amrullah Saleh sustained minor injuries Wednesday when his convoy was targeted in Kabul in an explosion that killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 10 others, officials said.

"Today, once again the enemy of Afghanistan tried to harm Saleh, but they failed to get to their evil aim, and Saleh escaped the attack unharmed," Rezwan Murad, head of public relations for the vice president's office wrote on Facebook.

The blast occurred at 7:35 a.m. (GMT 03:05) in Sabiqa Square of Taimani locality, Police District 4 of the city, sending a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggering panic, Xinhua reported citing a witness. 

In a video posted on Facebook soon after the explosion, Saleh, with bandages on his left hand, said he had been traveling to his office when his convoy was attacked.

"I am fine but some of my guards have been wounded. My son, who was in the car with me, and I are both fine," Saleh said.

Abdullah, a shopkeeper who gave only one name, said the blast had blown out his windows. "A shop that sold gas cylinders also caught fire, causing the cylinders to blow up," he said.

Saleh is the senior of Afghanistan's two vice presidents. He is also an outspoken Taliban critic and survived an attack last year ahead of presidential elections.

At least 20 people, most of them civilians, were killed and 50 others wounded when a suicide attacker and gunmen targeted Saleh's Kabul office at that time.

Wednesday's attack comes as Afghan negotiators and the Taliban are expected to begin peace talks soon in the Qatari capital of Doha.

On Sunday, Saleh said Kabul's negotiating team would push early on for a permanent ceasefire. "The first test for the Taliban is (a) ceasefire," Saleh told Tolo News.

"If they accept the ceasefire, they are committed to peace. If not, they are not."

Even as preparations continue for direct talks, violence on the ground has continued, with the Taliban unleashing daily attacks.

Peace talks were supposed to begin in March but were repeatedly delayed over a prisoner swap that included the release of hundreds of battle-hardened insurgents.

Paris and Canberra in particular have opposed the release of six Taliban militants because of their links to the killings of French and Australian civilians and troops.

Saleh said Sunday the six inmates would be sent to Qatar.

The Taliban issued a statement denying involvement in the blast. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. 

(With input from Xinhua and AFP)