Suicide bombing at funeral among spate of Afghanistan attacks

KABUL — A suicide bomber struck at a funeral in northern Afghanistan, killing nine and injuring more than 20 in one of several attacks across the country on Monday.

The assault in the Burka district of Baghlan province killed two police officers and seven civilians in an area that is largely controlled by the Taliban. No group asserted responsibility for the attack, but suspicion immediately fell on the Taliban insurgency.

“More than 40 percent of the Burka district is under the control of the Taliban, and they can freely carry on their attacks,” said Taj Mohammed Taqwa, the top government official in the district.

Taliban insurgents have stepped up attacks in recent weeks here in the capital and in other parts of Afghanistan as most foreign troops prepare to withdraw by the end of this month. In recent days, several foreigners and scores of Afghans have been killed or wounded, with the deadliest suicide bombing killing more than 50 people at a volleyball tournament packed with spectators in the eastern province of Paktika.

The spike in violence prompted Kabul’s police chief, Gen. Mohammed Zahir, to offer his resignation Sunday. But Monday, government officials rejected his resignation.

In the southern province of Kandahar, gunmen killed three border police officers in the Spin Boldak district, said Haji Agha Lalai, the head of Kandahar’s provincial council.

And in Logar province, south of Kabul, an explosion in a market in the provincial capital injured several Afghan soldiers, said Abdul Wali Wakil, head of the Logar council. He added that the blast was most likely caused by a bomb detonated by remote control.

No group has asserted responsibility for the Kandahar and Logar attacks.

Source http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/suicide-bombing-at-funeral-among-spate-of-afghan-attacks/2014/12/01/de4a7d84-7952-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html