<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 29.3333px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 36px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">In Afghanistan, at </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 37.3333px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">least 12 people were killed and nine wounded when a suicide bomber detonated near a gathering of top clerics in the capital Kabul today. Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said the suicide attack took place when guests were exiting the tent where the meeting was being held. Stanikzai said the attacker detonated outside the tent, known as the Loya Jirga tent, where gatherings of top clerics and government officials are often held.</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 29.3333px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 37.3333px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 29.3333px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 37.3333px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">Local media said that some 3,000 clerics had gathered at the tent for the meeting of the Ulema Council, Afghanistan's top clerics.</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 29.3333px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 37.3333px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">It was not immediately clear how many of the clerics were among those killed. Shortly before the attack, the clerics had issued a fatwa against the ongoing conflict in the country, terming suicide attacks a sin against Islam.<br />''        </span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 29.3333px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 37.3333px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said at least 12 people have been killed and a dozen others wounded in the attack. He added that the death toll could rise. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">        </span></p>