IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Afghanistan

20 guests die in wedding gunfight

At least 20 people were killed when a gunfight broke out at a wedding party in northern Afghanistan, officials said on Monday. The clash, which officials blamed on quarrels between guests, erupted late on Sunday in Deh Salah district in the once-tranquil province of Baghlan. The province has recently been plagued by growing insecurity as the Taliban insurgency rapidly spreads north from its southern and eastern strongholds.