Taliban officials say the killing of the brother of their leader in a bomb attack won't derail talks with the United States aimed at securing the withdrawal of US troops after 18 years of war.
There was no claim of responsibility for the bomb that killed the younger brother of Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada near the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday.
It came after both Taliban and US officials have reported progress in talks on an agreement centred on a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a Taliban security guarantee.
"If someone thinks martyring our leaders would stop us from our goal they're living in a fool's paradise," a Taliban leader said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
US soliders stationed in Afghanistan. Source: AFP
"We are close to our goals," he said, referring to the talks with the United States. He declined to be identified.
The militants have been fighting to expel foreign forces and set up an Islamic state since they were ousted in October 2001, weeks after the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Both US negotiators and the Taliban have reported progress after eight rounds of talks since late last year but the violence has not eased.
The bomb at the mosque near Quetta killed four people, and wounded 20, Pakistani police said.
The Taliban leader's brother, Hafiz Ahmadullah, was leading prayers when it exploded. One of the leader's sons was wounded, Taliban officials said.
Pakistani police confirmed that one of the dead was identified as Hafiz Ahmadullah but said they could not confirm if he was a brother of the Taliban leader. Pakistan denies accusations that it supports the Taliban but many members live there.
In the Afghan capital, Kabul, a suicide bomber attacked a Saturday night wedding reception. An interior ministry spokesman said there were tens of casualties, both wounded and dead.
There was no claim of responsibility.
Interior Ministry spokesman Nusrat Rahimi told The Associated Press the attacker set off explosives among the wedding participants. Both the Taliban and a local affiliate of the Islamic State group carry out bloody attacks in the capital.
"Around 1,200 guests were invited to the wedding," said Ahmad Omid, a survivor who said the gathering was for his father's cousin. "I was with the groom in the other room when we heard the blast and then I couldn't find anyone. Everyone was lying all around the hall."
