Afghanistan: 'Six killed' in Baghlan Eid suicide attack
A suicide bomber has killed at least six people near a mosque in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, say officials.
The bomb went off as worshippers were leaving the mosque in Old Baghlan City after prayers marking the start of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
Officials said at least 12 people were injured in the blast and that a police officer was among those killed.
The Taliban routinely carry out such attacks on civilians and troops.
Baghlan police chief Asadullah Shirzad said the explosion had hit at 09:30 local time (05:00 GMT) as people were leaving prayers.
He said the attacker had arrived on foot, the AFP news agency reports.
Siddiq Siddiqui, spokesman for the interior ministry, condemned the "act of violence against civilians on this important day".
There was no immediate claim of responsibilty, but Mr Siddiqui said initial investigations indicated the attack was the work of the Taliban, AFP reports.
A second attacker had been arrested before he could detonate his bomb, he said.
Baghlan had been a peaceful province of Afghanistan, but levels of violence increased from 2010.
The United Nations say the first six months of 2011 were the deadliest for civilians across Afghanistan since the war began in 2001, as the Taliban sought to demonstrate it could still carry out attacks across the country.
The Nato-backed International Assistance Force (Isaf) is gradually handing over responsibility for security to the Afghans but some 140,000 foreign troops remain in the country.
The handover is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
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குண்டு வெடித்து பக்ரீத்தைக் கொண்டாடி இருக்கிறார்கள் எழில்.
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