A suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Afghanistan has killed at least 16 people and injured at least 30 others. The explosion ripped through a crowd attending the funeral of a murdered anti-Taleban cleric.
Police officials say the chief of police from Kabul is reported to be among those killed in the attack in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
The blast occurred during the funeral of Mullah Abdul Fayaz, a prominent pro-government cleric who was shot Sunday by suspected Taleban gunmen.
Following a winter lull, Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.
NATO spokeswoman Karen Tissot Van Patot voiced concern about the rising violence. "We must thwart those who would conspire to disrupt the peace and security that we are all trying to maintain," he said.
Police remain on high alert in Kandahar, considered a stronghold of pro-Taleban sentiment.