Afghanistan in mourning after suicide bombing

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai declared three days of national mourning today, a day after a suicide bomb killed at least 41 people.

The attack, on a group of politicians in the country's north, left six parliament members dead. Children were also among the victims.

Karzai blamed yesterday's attack on "the enemies of peace and security", a euphemism often used for the militant Taliban, and directed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

Such a major attack could have also been the work of al-Qaida. The Taliban has denied involvement.

The attack happened as the lawmakers were being greeted by children on a visit to a sugar factory in Afghanistan's normally peaceful north.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber and left 41 people killed, including six lawmakers, Karzai said.

Video obtained by AP Television News of the scene just before the blast shows schoolchildren, tribal elders and government officials lining the streets to greet 18 lawmakers as they were about to enter the sugar factory in Baghlan, a town about 150 kilometre 95 miles north of the capital, Kabul.