Paris Says Several Dead in Blast at French-Financed Kabul School

French President Francois Hollande condemned a suicide bomb attack at a French-financed school in Kabul on Thursday, saying it was an attack on "culture and creativity."

"I condemn the heinous attack that occurred at the French Institute in Afghanistan ... by targeting this place of dialogue, the terrorists are attacking culture and creativity," Hollande said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the attack had left "several dead" and called for the perpetrators of the "barbaric act" to be identified and brought to justice.

Fabius said crisis units had been set up both in Kabul and France to look into the latest in a string of attacks to hit the Afghan capital in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attack "strengthens France's determination to fight against barbarism."

The attack occurred late in the afternoon during a theater performance at the Istiqlal High School, which is attached to Kabul's long-established French cultural center.