A suicide bomber hiding explosives in his turban blew himself up today when he was stopped by guards outside a memorial service for Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in Kandahar. The attack, which killed four people including the head of Kandahar's religious council and a child, came only a day after a grief-stricken Karzai buried Wali Karzao, who was assassinated by his bodyguard on Tuesday. Karzai himself wasn't present at the mosque, but four of his brothers and other influential Afghan figures were in attendance, according to the BBC. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. "There was a prayer going on and after that prayer, the man came close to the director of the religious council and exploded," Kandahar governor Toryalai Wesa told the AP. The New York Times notes today that President Karzai's loss goes beyond personal grief. "Without his brother, who gave the president the assurance that he could count on the political and economic backing of at least a quarter of the country-- the south--Mr. Karzai's government appears increasingly adrift," the paper writes.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ufriedman at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Uri Friedman