Eastern Afghan official killed in bombing

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 injured, 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.