KABUL (REUTERS) - A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up close to a police checkpoint near Kabul airport on Monday (Jan 4) but caused no other casualties, a police spokesman said.

The bomber was spotted by police as his car approached the checkpoint, prompting him to detonate his explosives, the spokesman said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The blast follows a series of attacks in the Afghan capital over recent days, including a suicide attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners and wealthy Afghans which killed a 12 year-old boy and a security guard.

The attacks have coincided with a new effort to restart peace talks with the Taleban after earlier meetings were broken off last July.