Karzai Survives Taliban Assassination Attempt During Parade Celebration

Afghan ceremony gunfire death toll rises to 4

www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-27 21:33:23  

    KABUL, April 27 (Xinhua) --

The death toll in the gunfire and explosions which rocked a celebration gathering in Kabul marking the 16th anniversary of Afghan nation Sunday morning rose to four, officials and TV reports said.

    Besides a tribal group chief and a 10-year-old boy, who were killed as stated in an earlier presidential office statement, one of the two injured members of parliament and one soldier were confirmed dead, according to local TV reports and a defense ministry spokesman.

    (Taliban fighters) fired gunshots and rockets on a high-profile function featuring a parade, which was attended by the (NATO-Backed) Afghan President Hamid Karzai and several hundred officials, foreign diplomats and local notables.

    Explosion and gunfire erupted suddenly at around 9:45 a.m. local time just as all the attendants were standing, listening to the national anthem during which there were celebration cannon firing.

    Karzai, who had sit in the middle on the stage opposite the buildings where the attacking shots came from and was thought to be the target, left the scene safe under protection of guards.

    The presidential office said Karzai and all the foreign dignitaries present were safe. Karzai has ordered a "thorough and urgent" investigation into the case, it said, adding the "enemies "attempting to disrupt the ceremony of 16th anniversary of the nation only "partially disrupted it."

    Karzai, while addressing the public through television, called on the people to remain calm, saying the law enforcers have arrested "some suspects," and the situation is under control.

    In a press report released earlier, Karzai's office said Naseer Ahmad Latifi, a leader of local Qezir-bash tribe, who attended the ceremony, was killed. It said a 10-year-old boy also died in the incident, but did not say under what kind of circumstances he was killed.

    Nine others including two members of parliament, namely Daoud Zazai, and Fazul-rahman Samkanai, were injured, it further said.

    A health ministry official, who declined to be named for his lack of authority to speak to media, earlier told Xinhua that among the other seven injured were one military officer, three soldiers, and three civilians.

    A latest report of local televisions quoting officials said the seriously-wounded Fazul-rahman Samkanai died in hospital.

    One injured soldier was also dead, Afghan defense ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said.

    The April 27 ceremony marks the 16th anniversary of the (US-backed) Mujahideen victory against the former Soviet Union-backed Najibullah communist regime in Afghanistan, which collapsed in April 1992.

    The Afghan government had beefed up the security in Kabul especially for the function since some two months ago.

    The Taliban Movement, fighting the Afghan government and foreign troops since being ousted from power in late 2001 by a U.S.-led invasion, had taken the responsibility. There has been no official word on the reported deaths or arrests of attackers.

    Conflicts and Taliban-related war attacks have left over 400 people dead so far this year in war-torn Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters recently have vowed to launch the "Spring offensive" to intensify their guerrilla-style attacks on the Afghan government and foreign troops.    

Editor: An Lu