New Delhi: The US condemned a bloody attack in Afghan capital Kabul on Monday as a "desperate" and "ruthless" act by the Taliban.

"It's not surprising that the Taliban do this sort of thing," US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told reporters in New Delhi. "They are desperate people, they are ruthless."

He added: "The people doing this certainly will not survive the attack, nor will they succeed. But we can expect this sort of thing on a regular basis."