Afghan suicide attack kills seven near mosque

At least seven civilians were killed and 15 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated explosives near a mosque in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, the interior ministry said.
The bomber attacked soon after prayers for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha had finished, ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said. "We strongly condemn this. This is yet another act of violence against civilians, on this important day," he said.
Preliminary investigations indicated the attack was the work of the Taliban, he said.
Another attempted suicide bomber in the same place was arrested before being able to ignite the explosives, Sediqqi said. The Taliban did not immediately claim responsibility.
In a statement emailed on Friday, before the Eid holiday, the Taliban reiterated its threats against foreign troops, but in an unusual step, said insurgents should try to avoid killing civilians. If it were "irrefutably proven that the blood of innocent Muslims is spilled by ... negligence" then their killer should be penalised according to Islamic law, the statement said.