Afghan officials say at least nine people were killed early Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew up a car filled with explosives outside a local government facility in the western district of Herat.

Police say the driver detonated the explosives after being ordered to stop his vehicle at the gate of the compound.

The blast killed at least six civilians and three policemen. Several others were wounded. Authorities expect the death toll to rise.

There has not yet been a claim of responsibility for the attack, which occurred near the capital city of Herat, a relatively calm western province that lies along the country's border with Iran.