In Afghanistan, a suicide attacker killed Kandahar Mayor, Ghulam Haidar Hamidi in his office Wednesday morning. According to police sources, a bodyguard of the Mayor was also killed in the attack. This is the second high-profile assassination in the province in one month. Two weeks ago, President Karzai's half brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, the head of the Provincial Council, was killed in his house in Kandahar city by one of his own bodyguards. Kandahar Mayor’s assassination is the latest in a series of attacks on influential officials in Afghanistan. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.Violence has increased recently as Afghan forces took security responsibility of seven areas in the first phase of security transition. The NATO forces are to hand over full security responsibilities by the end of 2014, when all foreign troops are expected to leave Afghanistan.