Eighteen people were arrested today in connection with yesterday's assassination bid on Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Attackers dressed in Afghan military uniforms opened fire on Mr Karzai as he travelled in a car with his US special forces bodyguards outside the residence of the governor of Kandahar, Mr Gul Agha Sherzai. Mr Karzai was unhurt but Mr Sherzai was wounded.
|
|
Mr Hamid Karzai - survived assassination attempt yesterday
|
A spokesman for Mr Gul Agha said the attack is believed to be the work of the Taliban.
He said that among the 18 taken into custody was commander Mr Sayed Rasoul, who had been in charge of security at the entrance of Mr Agha's former headquarters. Mr Agha moved out of the building around two months ago during reconstruction work.
The gunman, Mr Abdoul Rehman, who was shot dead by US Special Forces after firing at Mr Karzai's motorcade, came from the neighbouring province of Helmand where sympathy for the former fundamentalist regime remains strong.
He was hired by Mr Rasoul as a guard for Mr Agha 15 days ago.
But the spokesman played down the prospect that the attack was the work of al-Qaeda. "There is no al-Qaeda in Kandahar and we do not have any evidence to suggest they were behind this incident, but it is possible".
AFP