Afghan governor killed in rising violence in north

KABUL, Afghanistan — A bomb killed an outspoken Afghan governor and 19 other worshippers in a mosque Friday in northern Afghanistan.

A survivor said he believed a suicide bomber praying to the right of the governor carried out the attack, which wounded 35 people and took place in Taluqan, the capital of Takhar province.

The death of Mohammad Omar, the governor of neighboring Kunduz province, came just days after he publicly warned of escalating threats from Taliban and foreign fighters across the north. If steps aren't taken to counter them, Afghan and coalition forces will face "disaster," he said.

"Violence in north and northeastern Afghanistan will increase like it has in Kandahar and Helmand," Omar said, referring to two provinces in the south where the Taliban have their greatest influence. "It will be very difficult for the government and the international community to conduct clearing operations and fight gunbattles in all parts of the country."

Security has been deteriorating for the past two years in Kunduz and surrounding provinces — known hide-outs for the Taliban, al-Qaida and fighters from other extremist factions, including the Haqqani network, Hizb-i-Islami and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

NATO has sent more troops to the north and has been pushing harder into extremist-held areas the past several months, German Maj. Gen. Hans-Werner Fritz, commander of NATO's northern regional command, said in a recent Pentagon briefing.

Although there were no claims of responsibility for Friday's attack, insurgents clearly were targeting the Kunduz governor, said Takhar Gov. Abdul Jabar Taqwa.

"He was the target, and the terrorists were able to kill him," Taqwa said. "This is a big loss for us because Mohammad Omar was a very brave and good governor."

Among those killed were university students who lived in a nearby dormitory, according to local officials.

Omar, who was born in Takhar province, was a member of the nation's ethnic Pashtun majority, as are most of the Taliban. He often spoke out against insurgents and pleaded with the Afghan government to send more security forces to the north. He survived at least three previous attempts on his life.

He was a longtime commander in northern Afghanistan and served under Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, a key U.S.-backed mujahedeen leader, during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. Before he became governor of Kunduz in 2004, Omar served as governor of Baghlan province — also in the north — and mayor of Taluqan.