Afghan officials say a suicide bomb attack has killed the mayor of the southern city of Kandahar.

Officials say Mayor Ghulam Haider Hamidi died Wednesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up near Hamidi's office. Officials said the explosives were hidden in the bomber's turban.

The mayor's death comes just two weeks after Afghan President Hamid Karzai's half brother was assassinated at his home in Kandahar city.

Violence in the country has increased as Afghans begin taking security control from U.S. and NATO-led forces.

Some 33,000 American forces are set to leave Afghanistan by September of 2012. Last week, the first seven areas of Afghanistan were transitioned from NATO control to Afghan forces. Most foreign combat troops are set to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.