Bomb targets Afghan President's brother

A bomb ripped through the home of the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai today, but no one was hurt.

The blast sent clouds of black smoke billowing from Ahmed Wali Karzai’s sprawling compound in southern Kandahar.

Police said the bomb went off inside the house. There was one immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

There was no immediate comment from the Afghan president either, who was the target of an assassination bid in Kandahar last September.

In that attempt, the president escaped injury and his assailant was killed by American bodyguards.

The younger Karzai was not in the house at the time of today’s explosion.

Attacks by anti-government insurgents have become increasingly bold and deadly with hundreds of rebels reportedly attacking police stations in eastern Afghanistan in recent days.

Several policemen have been killed and others have been taken hostage.