KABUL, September 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - At least two people were injured in an explosion at a residential block near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul late Saturday, September 28, 2002, just hours before the scheduled arrival of a senior Pentagon official.

The blast, just after 9:00 pm (1630 GMT), occurred outside a residential apartment block roughly half a kilometer (mile) from the Embassy and ahead of a visit by U.S. Defense Undersecretary Douglas Feith, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Din Mohammed Jurat, public order director of the Afghan Interior Ministry, said the blast was caused by C4 explosives which produced a large noise but did little damage.

Two people were apparently injured by broken glass, he said.

Basir Salangi, Kabul security commander, said the blast was caused by "30 or 40 kilograms" (66 or 88 pounds) of explosive powder placed in a waste bin on a road adjacent to the US embassy.

"I think the aim was the American embassy or the military intelligence directorate which is just 500 meters (1,650 feet) from it," Salangi said.

"They couldn't put these explosives near to these places so it was easy for them to put them in a waste bin, at least to have an explosion to show that they can still disrupt security, create tension among people and worry diplomats."

Salangi said an investigation was due to be launched into the blast but added that it was most likely the work of former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar or alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

U.S. Defense Undersecretary Douglas Feith had been due to visit Afghanistan on Saturday, but according to a US embassy official, Feith had rescheduled his visit to the following day.

"He is due to arrive on Sunday, he would not have been staying at the embassy anyway," the spokesman said.

"We have no comment on the incident, everyone is still trying to gather the facts."

Resident Ahmadullah Sardar, who was at home in the apartment block when the blast occurred, said one of his family members was injured by flying glass.

"We were just in the house watching TV and a big explosion took place and injured my daughter. She was not very badly hurt. There was lots of dust and glass everywhere."

Saturday's blast comes less than a month after a large car bomb in the centre of Kabul killed 30 people.

The September 5 bomb, which exploded only hours before an assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the southwestern city of Kandahar, came on the heels of a series of smaller blasts.

The attacks have been blamed on Taliban or al-Qaeda operatives still in Afghanistan following the U.S.-led bombing campaign, which ousted the Islamic militia and its associates late last year.

"On the one hand, we were fortunate that there were no serious injuries, but this is another sign of terrorists trying to make a point through violence," Foreign Ministry spokesman Omar Samad told AFP Saturday.

"It is people who are against peace, stability and the political process in Afghanistan, but terrorism is not going to have any rewards."

Interior Minister Taj Mohammed Wardak said Saturday's blast could have been organized by the same people behind the September 5 blast near a hotel in the centre of Kabul.

"I don't know who is behind this, maybe a stupid, foolish person who planted the bomb in front of the Spinzar hotel and killed lots of innocent people and children.

"I don't know what is the benefit of killing all these innocent people and what would they get.

"The security and police will become more and more powerful in their work and explosives like this will not be brought into the city any more."

Security forces have been on high alert in the Afghan capital since the car bomb.

   Last week police discovered eight sticks of dynamite on a fully-loaded aviation fuel tanker bound for a nearby US airbase.

In a separate incident, a missile was discovered on the outside of Kabul, apparently aimed at the route taken by international passenger jets using the city's airport.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai - the target of a recently failed assassination attempt - was not in the country at the time.

The U.S. forces in Afghanistan frequently come under attack.