Front Page   

Karzai survives assassination bid

KANDAHAR sept. 5. The Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai, survived an assassination attempt on Thursday when an Afghan security guard fired at his car as it was leaving the Governor's mansion here, witnesses said.

Mr. Karzai's condition was not known, but there was no indication that he was hit. The Kandahar Governor, Gul Agha Sherzai, was wounded in the attack and witnesses saw him bleeding from the neck. Mr. Karzai's American bodyguards opened fire in response to the shooting, and three persons were killed, including one who was wearing an Afghan military uniform. It was not known if the Governor was wounded by gunfire from the assailant or from shots fired afterward. "I was just outside the gate when I heard the gunshots," Mr. Sherzai's security chief, Dur Mohammed, said. "The Americans opened fire on three people and they were killed."

The incident occurred shortly after a car bomb killed and wounded scores of people in the Afghan capital Kabul, 500 km to the northeast. It was unclear if the incidents were related.

Mr. Karzai was in Kandahar, the former spiritual headquarters of the Taliban, to attend a wedding celebration for his youngest brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai.

Witnesses said he was leaving the Governor's house in his motorcade when shots were fired in his direction. U.S. Special Forces guarding him screamed for him to take cover and the convoy sped away.

Three bullet-riddled bodies could be seen outside the mansion grounds in a pool of blood.

In Washington, the U.S. President, George Bush, was informed of the attempt and expressed relief "that President Karzai was unhurt", Sean McCormack, a White House spokesman, said. Mr. Bush looked forward to meeting with Mr. Karzai next week during the special session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, he said. There was no immediate information about the assailant, the spokesman said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Features |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Cauvery monitoring panel to meet on Saturday
• Farmers threaten to `take over' reservoirs
• Karzai survives assassination bid
• BCCI meet to discuss ICC letter tomorrow
• Send Nedumaran, Mani: Veerappan
• More voices against disinvestment policy
• Sachin's feat
• 7 drowned in boat capsize
• HC admits Manisha plea

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu