Updated January 29, 2018 16:25:30

At least five militants have attacked an army outpost near the Marshal Fahim National Defence University in the Afghan capital of Kabul, a witness said.

Ministry of Defence officials said the militants attacked the outpost near the well-defended Marshal Fahim military academy just before dawn.

One of the attackers blew himself up, one had been killed and some were still fighting. One soldier had been killed and three were wounded, said one official, who declined to be identified.

Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said three soldiers had been wounded and the clash was still going on.

Islamic State has since claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the group's propaganda wing.

Earlier, Kabul resident Mohammad Ehsan said the explosions began at around 5:00am (local time) and lasted for at least an hour.

Smaller blasts at less frequent intervals could still be heard, he said.

Australian troops train Afghan troops at the National Army Officer Academy, which is part of the university where the explosions were heard.

However, it is unclear whether any Australian troops have come under threat from the blasts.

The Department of Defence and the offices of Defence Minister Marise Payne and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have been contacted.

The attack in the western outskirts came two days after an ambulance packed with explosives in Kabul killed at least 100 people, and just over a week after another attack on the Hotel Intercontinental, which killed more than 20.

Both of those attacks were claimed by the Taliban.

ABC/Reuters

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, afghanistan

First posted January 29, 2018 14:08:31