Blast kills Afghan deputy chief of intelligence

Officials say an explosion has killed Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence.

Sayed Ahmad Safi, the spokesman for the governor of Laghman province, says Dr. Abdullah Laghmani died in the blast. Laghmani is the No. 2 at Afghanistan's intelligence service, known as the National Directorate for Security.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, tells The Associated Press that a suicide bomber had targeted Laghmani.

The blast occurred during the inauguration of a new mosque in the city of Mehterlam in Laghman — 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Kabul.

Early reports suggest many people have been killed and wounded in the attack. No officials could immediately confirm an overall death toll.