Suicide bomber kills police chief in Afghanistan

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan—

A suicide bomber killed the provincial police chief of Kandahar and two other police officers Friday, stunning Afghanistan's second-largest city, whose security has been a top priority for NATO forces.

At about 2 p.m. local time, the bomber made his way inside Kandahar police headquarters to attack Police Chief Khan Mohammad Mujahid, according to Zamarai Bashari, an Interior Ministry spokesman. Three officers were wounded in the attack, according to a statement from President Hamid Karzai's office.

Karzai condemned the attack, which he blamed on "enemies of peace and stability in Afghanistan" fueled by "outsiders' provocation and direction," a reference to Pakistan echoed in his condemnations of other bombings in recent days.

"They will not reach their targets because this country has thousands more brave sons to render services and protect the country," Karzai said in the statement, praising Mujahid, who he said had served on the police force and as a tribal elder for the past decade.
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