Kandahar: An Afghan provincial government
official and former Taliban shadow governor from southern
Kandahar was hit in a roadside bombing on Sunday, escaping with
minor injuries, officials said.
Noor-ul-Aziz, director of religious affairs at
Kandahar provincial government since he reconciled with the
government, was travelling through the city when his car
struck a bomb.
"Noor-ul-Aziz Agha... has been wounded in a roadside
bomb explosion," said the statement from the provincial
government office.
"He was evacuated to Mirwais Hospital with minor
injuries."
There were no other injuries and Noor-ul-Aziz would be
released from hospital care after brief treatment, it said,
condemning the attack on its official.
Noor-ul Aziz, is the highest ranking Taliban official
to have reconciled with the government in an officially backed
scheme.
Originally from Kandahar, he was operating as a
Taliban commander in neighbouring Helmand province, mostly in
the Nad Ali district, where he was a mid-level insurgent
commander.
He was later appointed as the Taliban shadow governor
for the northeastern province of Kunduz.
But several months ago he joined President Hamid
Karzai's reconciliation scheme to bring Taliban insurgents
over to the government, and was appointed the head of the
religious affairs for Kandahar province.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, October 30, 2011, 16:18