KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Police in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar say at least five people have been killed by a car bomb near a hotel frequented by foreigners.

Mohammad Nabi, a police officer at the site, said two security guards and three civilians were killed in the Thursday evening bombing near the Continental Hotel.

The blast blew out some windows in the hotel and damaged several rooms. The explosion also was near the Kandahar provincial council office. It was not clear what was the bomb's intended target.