Kabul police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi said at least 18 people were wounded in the attack, which occurred just after 9:00 a.m. near Hamid Karzai International Airport.

According to Karimi, the bomber targeted the European Union vehicle -- occupied by the Briton and three others -- with an explosive-laden car.

"We can confirm that a British national was tragically killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul this morning," a spokesman for the United Kingdom's Foreign Commonwealth Office said. "We stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family."

The three other EU Police Mission members in the car suffered injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, EUPOL said in a statement.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. "The target of the suicide car bomb attack was a convoy of foreign invaders," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.

EUPOL is a civilian operation that's aimed at helping the development of Afghanistan's police service.

Militants in Afghanistan frequently target Westerners, although Afghans are often hurt in the attacks, too. Another EUPOL vehicle was hit by a car bomb in January that wounded nearby civilians.

Last week, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Kabul hotel in which a number of foreigners, including one American, were among the dead.

CNN's Masoud Popalzai and journalist Ehsan Popalzai reported from Kabul. CNN's Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report from London.