Suicide bomber kills 20 in attack on Afghan mosque

A suspected al-Qaida suicide bomber blew himself up today during the funeral of a moderate Muslim cleric, killing 20 people including the Kabul police chief, and wounding 42 others, officials said.

The attack was the deadliest in Afghanistan since a major upsurge in violence kicked off in March, belying US claims that it is stabilising the country and reinforcing fears militants here are copying the tactics of those in Iraq.