Kabul: The deputy governor of a volatile
eastern Afghan province was killed by a suicide car bomber
on Tuesday, along with five others, police said.
The explosion occurred when the official was driving
in Ghazni city toward his office, said Ghazni province Police
Chief Zarawar Zahid. The bomber rammed into one of the
vehicles in the two-car convoy, sparking a large blast.
All of those in the convoy were killed, including
Deputy Gov Khazim Allayar, his adult son, his driver, and
three bodyguards, Zahid said. Twelve people nearby were
wounded, he added.
Afghan government officials are prime targets for the
Taliban and other insurgent groups that have instituted an
assassination campaign against people who work with either the
Afghan government or NATO forces.
Allayar had held the post for more than seven years.
He survived a bombing attempt just two months ago in Ghazni
city.
Meanwhile, the office of President Hamid Karzai said
it was looking into the possible deaths of civilians in
Laghman province, northeast of Kabul. NATO forces said one
Afghan civilian was killed by a coalition service member in
the Alishing district of Laghman on Sunday. It said an
investigation is ongoing into the circumstances of the man`s
death.
Civilian deaths are a very sensitive issue in
Afghanistan. Protests were held in Laghman after about 30
insurgents were killed during an operation involving a
combined force of more than 250 Afghan National Army, Afghan
National Police and coalition soldiers last week. NATO said no
civilians were harmed in that operation.
PTI