Karzai brother service hit by Kandahar suicide bomber
LONDON. July 14. KAZINFORM A suicide bomber has attacked a mosque in Kandahar during a memorial service for the assassinated half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, officials say; Kazinform refers to BBC News.
Four people were killed, including the top cleric of the provincial council.
Ahmad Wali Karzai, a controversial but key figure in Nato's battle against the Taliban, was killed by his bodyguard.
President Karzai flew into Kandahar for his brother's funeral on Wednesday, but did not attend Thursday's service.
No group has so far admitted carrying out the mosque attack.
Chaos and panic
The explosion took place just after noon in the southern Afghan city.
"It was a suicide bombing. It was inside the mosque," a member of Kandahar's provincial council said.
"The service was about the end when it happened," the official added.
An eyewitness told the BBC that "someone was trying to get inside the mosque" before the blast.
The suspected attacker was stopped at the mosque's entrance, and he then blew himself up.
Some reports suggest the bomber hid the explosives in his turban.
Four people were killed and 13 injured after the blast, officials say.
The Afghan interior ministry said that among those killed was Hikmatullah Hikmat, the head of Kandahar's Ulema Council. The council is an influential body of clerics in charge of regulating religious issues in the province.
The BBC's Bilal Sarvary in Kandahar reports that senior defence ministry officials were inside the mosque.
Elite police units have arrived in the area, our correspondent says, adding that there are currently scenes of chaos and panic in the area; Kazinform cites BBC News.
To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk