At least 19 people, including an Afghan legislator, have been killed in an apparent suicide attack in Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sadiq Sadiqi told RFE/RL that 38 people were injured.
RFE/RL's correspondent on the scene said that parliament deputy Abdul Mutalab Baig was one of those killed in the attack.
President Hamid Karzai has strongly condemned the attack. It was also condemned by the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.
In other news, the Afghan Interior Ministry said security forces had killed 30 suspected insurgents in a series of clashes around the country.
A ministry statement said the army, police, and NATO troops launched a total of 11 operations over 24 hours across Afghanistan.
It said seven insurgents were arrested. The statement said the slain insurgents were armed and that weapons were recovered in the operations.
Separately, NATO said one of its helicopters crash-landed in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on December 25 after taking small-arms fire from the ground.
There were no injuries among the crew.
with agency reports
Interior Ministry spokesman Sadiq Sadiqi told RFE/RL that 38 people were injured.
RFE/RL's correspondent on the scene said that parliament deputy Abdul Mutalab Baig was one of those killed in the attack.
President Hamid Karzai has strongly condemned the attack. It was also condemned by the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.
In other news, the Afghan Interior Ministry said security forces had killed 30 suspected insurgents in a series of clashes around the country.
A ministry statement said the army, police, and NATO troops launched a total of 11 operations over 24 hours across Afghanistan.
It said seven insurgents were arrested. The statement said the slain insurgents were armed and that weapons were recovered in the operations.
Separately, NATO said one of its helicopters crash-landed in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on December 25 after taking small-arms fire from the ground.
There were no injuries among the crew.
with agency reports