Governor killed in blast at Afghan mosque

A provincial governor and at least 19 other people were killed by a massive bomb blast inside a packed mosque during Friday prayers in northern Afghanistan.

Thirty-five people were wounded in the explosion while praying at the Shirkat mosque in Takhar province. Insurgents have stepped up violence amid intensified Nato-Afghan military operations.

The governor of neighbouring Kunduz province, Mohammad Omar, was among the dead. The bomb was meant to kill Mr Omar, who regularly attends Friday prayers at the mosque, said Takhar's governor, Abdul Jabar Taqwa.