Kabul, Afghanistan ? A suicide bomber strapped with explosives killed at least six people Monday at a funeral for a respected provincial governor who died in a suicide blast the day before.

The explosion happened as more than 1,000 mourners in eastern Khost province met to bury Gov. Abdul Hakim Taniwal, a scholar who had returned from Australia to help rebuild Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in late 2001.

Four police officers, one tribal elder and one other person were killed in the attack, officials said. At least 30 people were injured, although four Cabinet ministers at the funeral escaped unhurt.

The attack was another example of the deteriorating security in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has made its strongest push against the U.S.-backed government since 2001. Taniwal, the governor of Paktia province, was the highest-profile government official killed so far in a spate of suicide bombings that started last November. This year, at least 135 people have been killed in suicide bombings, 24 since Friday alone.