Suicide Bomber Kills Afghan Deputy Guv

A suicide bomber on an explosives-laden motorbike rammed the car of Kandahar's deputy governor today as he was on his way to work, killing him and wounding three of his bodyguards. The Taliban have claimed responsibility, reports the AP, but the Los Angeles Times notes that Abdul Latif Ashna's slaying raises the specter of last year's wave of political assassinations around Kandahar. The province is seen as vital in the Afghanistan war.

"The enemies of Afghanistan cannot stop the Afghan people from development and progress by killing such personalities," said President Hamid Karzai in a statement condemning the attack. "There are thousands of other brave Afghans who will stand against the enemy and serve the people." (More Afghanistan stories.)