Twin blasts near Afghan parliament in Kabul leaves dozen dead.

It was the deadliest attack in Kabul for several months (Reuters)

No less than 38 people have been killed and over 80 injured in twin bombings close to the Afghan parliament in the capital Kabul, authorities say. 

The assaults occurred amid rush hour, as staff were leaving the parliament complex. 

Minutes after the impacts, the Taliban said they carried out the assault, targeting members of the Afghan intelligence agency.

In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted on a guesthouse utilized by an intelligence official, killing at least seven people and wounding six others.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the carnage minutes after the bombs went off in Kabul (Reuters)

Later, three bombs detonated at the governor's guesthouse in Kandahar territory where foreign officials, including the UAE diplomat to Afghanistan, were staying. Police say there were a few injuries however nobody was killed. No group has so far claimed the attack.