Kandahar: One of the most devastating Taliban assassination strikes killed three top officials of Kandahar Province, in an attack which targeted Washington’s top general General Scott Miller in Afghanistan, who escaped without injury.
Kandahar’s deputy provincial governor Agha Lala Dastageri said powerful provincial police chief Abdul Razik and the province’s intelligence chief Abdul Mohmin died immediately in the attack, while provincial governor Zalmay Wesa succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, Pakistan daily, Dawn reported.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi took responsibility for the attack. He too said all three officials were killed.
The security meeting inside the sprawling provincial governor’s residence was being held ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary elections.
Police chief Razik was a particularly powerful figure in southern Kandahar and a close US ally despite widespread allegations of corruption. He ruled in Kandahar, the former Taliban heartland, with an iron fist and had survived several attempts to kill him, including one last year that resulted in the death of five diplomats from the United Arab Emirates.
Security has been steadily deteriorating in Afghanistan with increasingly brazen attacks being carried out by insurgents and Afghanistan’s security forces have been on high alert ahead of Saturday’s elections.
The Taliban have threatened the polls and warned teachers and students not to participate in the vote and not to allow schools to be used as polling centres. The insurgents said in a statement on Wednesday that they will target Saturday’s elections, which they view as illegitimate, but that they do not want to harm civilians.
The Pakistan government has condemned the brazen attack, saying “for the continuation of the democratic process in Afghanistan it was necessary for peace to prevail in the country”.
The Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army Gen Qamar Bajwa assured support in all initiatives towards that end. (UNI)