20 Dead In Afghanistan Suicide Bombine
The New York Times reports:
KABUL, Afghanistan — Police officials said at least 20 people were killed on Monday when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a government office in northern Afghanistan. The death toll was expected to rise.
People were gathered at the government center in Imam Sahib district in Kunduz Province to obtain their national identification cards, which are necessary to enroll in the military and for children to go to school.
The district, which has a mix of Pashtuns, Tajiks and Uzbeks, has been one of the most troubled in the province. The insurgency spread to Kunduz during the past year and a half as NATO coalition forces focused on the south. The province was a Taliban stronghold when they controlled the country before the American-led invasion in December 2001.
Insurgent activity has been on the rise across parts of northern Afghanistan. The governor of Kunduz Province was among 12 people killed last October when a mosque in Taliqan in neighboring Takhar Province was bombed. Another 33 people were injured in the attack.
