Many killed as Afghan suicide bomber hits Kunduz

The attacker struck as people lined up to collect identity cards in the Imam Saheb district of Kunduz province, a local official said.

Kunduz has long been a stronghold for Taliban insurgents.

The attack comes one day after at least 18 people were killed in an attack on a bank in the Afghan city of Jalalabad.

The Taliban say they carried out Sunday's assault on the Kabul Bank, targeting police and intelligence officers who had gone to collect their salaries.

The bomber in Kunduz detonated his explosives at the entrance to the government building at midday, Imam Saheb's police chief told the Associated Press news agency. Reports say that most of the casualties in the blast were civilians.

Violence has been on the increase in Afghanistan where tens of thousands of foreign troops are based.

Civilian and military casualties in Afghanistan are at levels not seen for a decade - last year more than 2,400 civilians died; Kazinform cites BBC News.

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