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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Blast kills top Afghan official | Blast kills top Afghan official |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence has been killed in a suicide attack on a mosque in Laghman province, the provincial governor says. | Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence has been killed in a suicide attack on a mosque in Laghman province, the provincial governor says. |
| Abdullah Laghmani and at least 21 other people were killed in the attack in the town of Mehtar Lam. | Abdullah Laghmani and at least 21 other people were killed in the attack in the town of Mehtar Lam. |
| A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told AP news agency a suicide bomber had targeted Mr Laghmani. | A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told AP news agency a suicide bomber had targeted Mr Laghmani. |
| The attack came after the UN released a report saying opium cultivation had dropped significantly in Afghanistan. | The attack came after the UN released a report saying opium cultivation had dropped significantly in Afghanistan. |
| The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said poppy cultivation had dropped by 22% in a year and opium production by 10%. | The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said poppy cultivation had dropped by 22% in a year and opium production by 10%. |
| Meanwhile, European and US officials are meeting in Paris to discuss a new strategy in Afghanistan. | |
| 'Covered in blood' | 'Covered in blood' |
| Reports say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a crowd of officials - including Mr Laghmani - who had gathered outside the mosque in Mehtar Lam for a ceremony. | Reports say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a crowd of officials - including Mr Laghmani - who had gathered outside the mosque in Mehtar Lam for a ceremony. |
| MAJOR ATTACKS IN PAST MONTH 25 Aug: At least 43 killed in massive car bombing in Kandahar city18 Aug: Nine Afghans and a Nato soldier die and more than 50 are injured in Kabul15 Aug: Suicide bomb outside Nato HQ in Kabul kills seven and injures 9013 Aug: Twin blasts in Helmand and Kandahar kill 14, including several children6 Aug: Five American and three UK soldiers, five civilians and five policemen killed by roadside bombs mainly in Helmand3 Aug: Bomb in Herat kills 121-2 Aug: Nine foreign soldiers killed over weekend | |
| The provincial governor, Lutfullah Mashal, said in a news conference that at least 22 people had been killed, and another 35 hurt. | The provincial governor, Lutfullah Mashal, said in a news conference that at least 22 people had been killed, and another 35 hurt. |
| He said three senior officials in the local government had been killed, as well as Mr Laghmani - whose car was completely destroyed in the attack. | He said three senior officials in the local government had been killed, as well as Mr Laghmani - whose car was completely destroyed in the attack. |
| The rest of the dead were civilians, including three women. | |
| A Taliban spokesman told the BBC it claimed responsibility for the attack. | A Taliban spokesman told the BBC it claimed responsibility for the attack. |
| Reuters news agency quoted an eyewitness who saw a pick-up truck carrying wounded people covered in blood. | Reuters news agency quoted an eyewitness who saw a pick-up truck carrying wounded people covered in blood. |
| Eight ambulances left the scene, headed toward Jalalabad, the nearest big city, the witness said. | Eight ambulances left the scene, headed toward Jalalabad, the nearest big city, the witness said. |
| This successful strike against a senior figure in the state apparatus is a serious blow against the government in its fight against the insurgency, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Kabul. | This successful strike against a senior figure in the state apparatus is a serious blow against the government in its fight against the insurgency, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Kabul. |
| Mr Laghmani was the second in command in the National Directorate of Security (NDS) - the national intelligence service - and was known as an active and energetic figure in the fight against criminal and insurgent networks, he adds. | |
| The attack underlines the Taliban's ability to carry out complex and targeted attacks. | The attack underlines the Taliban's ability to carry out complex and targeted attacks. |
| It is the latest in a string of deadly attacks mainly in the south and east of Afghanistan, occurring in the weeks before and since the country's 20 August presidential and provincial elections. | It is the latest in a string of deadly attacks mainly in the south and east of Afghanistan, occurring in the weeks before and since the country's 20 August presidential and provincial elections. |
| The UN however has greeted the findings of its latest report on poppy and opium production in Afghanistan as a "welcome piece of good news". | |
| 'Sharp drop' in Afghan opium crop | |
| The biggest falls have been in Helmand province, but levels remain higher than three years ago, when British troops began fighting the Taliban there. | |
| But world heroin prices remain low and sceptics suggest suppliers may be depleting stockpiles to boost prices. | |
| Election tensions | |
| Vote counting is still continuing after the 20 August election, which has been mired in claims of mass rigging. | |
| The New York Times carried claims on Tuesday that residents of the Shorabak district of Kandahar - members of the Bariz tribe - had been denied their votes wholesale after deciding to back President Hamid Karzai's main rival, Abdullah Abdullah. | |
| Tribal leaders told the newspaper that on election day an ally of President Karzai had detained the district's governor and shut down all 45 polling sites. | |
| They said police had stuffed the ballot boxes with fake ballots before sending them to Kabul. | |
| The newspaper said similar allegations had been made in many of Kandahar's 17 districts. Such allegations are vehemently denied by Mr Karzai. | |
| Vote tallies released on Monday from the 20 August poll showed President Karzai leading with nearly 46%, with Mr Abdullah at 33.2%. Mr Karzai needs 50% of the votes to avoid a run-off. | |
| Are you in the area? Did you see what happened? | Are you in the area? Did you see what happened? |
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