A suicide bomber struck a funeral procession in northern Afghanistan Sunday, killing 19 people and wounding scores more.

Among the dead was a member of the national parliament, Abdul Mutaleb Baik, who was said to be a former commander in the Northern Alliance.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack which occurred in Talaqan, the capital of Takhar province. It comes after the September suicide bombing that killed Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Afghan government's chief negotiator with the Taliban.

The past year has seen a number of attacks against prominent Afghan officials.

U.S. General George Allen, the top NATO coalition commander in Afghanistan, labeled the attackers “cowards.” He told reporters Sunday's bombing callously targeted families and friends “who had gathered to mourn a loved one.”