Suicide blast kills Afghan district governor: officials

A suicide bomber today detonated himself at a mosque in northern Afghanistan, killing the local district governor with other casualties feared, officials said.

 

"The bomber targeted Sheikh Sadruddin, the district governor of Archi, this morning in the yard of a mosque while he was attending a prayer ceremony," Sayed Sarwar Husseini, spokesman for the province of Kunduz said.

 

"We can confirm that Sadruddin was killed and there are reports of several other casualties as well. We are trying to get more updated information."

 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which occurred close to the border with Tajikistan.

 

Taliban insurgents have launched a spate of attacks in recent days, with more than 30 people killed on Wednesday in separate strikes, including 15 policemen shot in an ambush in the western province of Farah.

 

The Taliban regularly target foreign and Afghan soldiers, police and officials in their guerrilla war against President Hamid Karzai's Western-backed government.