Two people have been killed and at least five injured in a terrorist attack on a Shia mosque in Kabul, the Afghan Interior Ministry reports.

Witnesses reported hearing a blast and gunfire at the al-Zahra mosque, located on the western outskirts of the city, on Thursday night.

Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said on Twitter that one civilian and one policeman had been killed. Four other civilians and three policemen were also said to be injured.

Mr Danesh said the attacker was blocked by police upon trying to enter the mosque. After engaging the police in a gun battle, however, he took refuge in the kitchen and detonated his bomb.

Isis has taken responsibility for the blast, which Afghan officials deemed a suicide attack.

The attack came during the holy month of Ramadan, on a night when Afghani Muslims packed into mosques around the city for prayer. Senior officials were reportedly due to attend the evening's services at al-Zahra.

The blast follows a string of violent events in the city, including a suicide bombing that killed 90 and injured 400 last month. A separate suicide truck bombing on 3 June killed 150, making it the deadliest bombing since the US invaded in 2001. Neither Isis nor the Taliban have taken responsibility.

Kabul's Shia majority have been a frequent target of these attacks. An assault on a Shia mosque in November killed 30 people, and an explosion at a mostly Shia demonstration last July killed 80.

The mounting fatalities have made some wonder whether the US will be able to defeat burgeoning Isis and Taliban forces in the country.

The Taliban have seized control of several districts across the country in the last two years, and have refused to participate in peace negotiations until all foreign forces are removed.

A prominent Isis affiliate gained as many as 11,000 foreign fighters in that time period, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reported.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyan’s destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital city’s addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and women’s rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Qur’an. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein

President Donald Trump recently handed control of troop levels over to the Pentagon, after his defence secretary declared the US was "not winning" the war.

“The Taliban had a good year last year, and they’re trying to have a good one this year,” Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Right now, I believe the enemy is surging.”

Many believe the delegation of authority to Mr Mattis will result in a troop increase in Afghanistan. The top US commander in the country previously claimed he needs “a few thousand” more troops to be successful.