A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in northeastern Afghanistan Sunday, killing at least 19 people including an MP and wounding dozens of others, officials said. The attacker, who was wearing a suicide vest, blew himself up among a crowd of mourners gathered for the funeral of a government official in Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar province.
“We have 19 dead including an MP, Abdulmutalib Baig, and more than 40 wounded, mostly civilians,” said Takhar provincial governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa.
“I was also invited to this ceremony but I didn’t go. The target was either me or the MP.” Baig was a former Mujahedeen commander and the former police chief of Kunduz province. He was working with opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah in the newly established National Coalition of Afghanistan. “This ruthless act of terror to target innocent people who had gathered for a religious ceremony yet again demonstrates the vile and vicious nature of the enemy who do not want to see the Muslim people of Afghanistan to perform even their Islamic rituals,” Afghan President Hamid Karzai said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Peace talks with the Taliban in the hope of finding a political settlement after 10 years of war have stalled in the wake of the September assassination of government peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani and continued violence. Takhar province is one of the areas being handed over by NATO in the second wave of transition to Afghan security forces ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign combat forces by the end of 2014.
Meanwhile, the interior ministry said in the space of 24 hours Afghan security forces killed 30 armed insurgents in various operations around the country in which a number of weapons were found. Afghan soldier killed in gunfight with US troops: An Afghan soldier was killed in a gunfight with US troops in southwest Afghanistan after he opened fire during an argument on Christmas eve, officials said Sunday. US troops were also injured in the incident on Saturday after the Afghan soldier began shooting and coalition troops returned fire in southwestern Farah province, Afghan army and police officials said.
“Last night in Bala Boluk an Afghan army soldier opened fire on foreign forces,” said Najibullah Najibi, spokesman for the Afghan army in western Afghanistan. “Four foreign forces have been wounded in this incident and the Afghan soldier has been killed.”
A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said there were no coalition fatalities but would not comment on ISAF casualties in line with policy. Farah provincial police chief Sayed Mohammad Roshan Dil said “an Afghan army soldier opened fire on American troops”. “He was killed when American soldier returned fire. The firefight started after a quarrel,” he said.
Afghan MP among 19 killed in suicide attack
