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BBC : Thursday, 5 September, 2002, 14:31 GMT 15:31 UK Karzai survives attempt on his life Karzai in Kandahar, just before the attempt on his life Afghan President Hamid Karzai has survived an assassination attempt in the southern city of Kandahar. A BBC correspondent at the scene says a man fired two shots into his vehicle. American soldiers guarding the president fired back - one report says three people died in the incident. The attack came only hours after a suspected car bomb exploded in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least 10 people including three policemen, the authorities say. I can see pieces of flesh on the road and the pavement Reuters journalist Dozens of people were injured in the blast, which happened at 1455 local time (1025 GMT) in the busy business district, close to a market crowded with shoppers buying provisions for the Muslim holy day. The BBC`s Kylie Morris, who is at the scene of the blast, says there have been many reports of security forces foiling attempts to plant bombs in the area in the past few days. Police say they suspect it was the work of either Osama Bin Laden`s al-Qaeda network or the warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who has demanded the removal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan. There have been several bomb blasts in and around Kabul in the past two months, but this was by far the most powerful. Target unclear Correspondents described a scene of blood and mayhem with overturned cars in the middle of the road. Soldiers are checking for more bombs "I can see pieces of flesh on the road and the pavement. There are sandals and pieces of clothing everywhere," one journalist for Reuters news agency said. The explosion took place close to the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Spinzar Hotel. It is not clear what the intended target was. Witnesses said there were two blasts, the first drawing people close to the scene of the second, larger explosion. "I was coming out of the Culture Ministry when the first blast went off, said eyewitness Najibullah Aryan. Kabul instability August: At least 15 people die in gunbattle near the capital July: Attempt to blow up government ministers foiled. July: Vice-President Haji Abdul Qadir shot dead April: 160 suspected coup-plotters arrested "There were two explosions. The first was not so big but the second was very large," he said. Thousands of people fled the area in panic after the blast. "This bomb was inside a taxi," police spokesman Dul Aqa said, according to the Associated Press news agency. "We can`t say who was behind it, but we know the last bombs were al-Qaeda and Gulbuddin [Hekmatyar]" Earlier this week, Mr Hekmatyar, a former Mujahideen leader, called for a holy war to drive US troops out of Afghanistan. And last week the head of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) warned of the danger of attacks from al-Qaeda and the Taleban who were driven out of Kabul last year. Dozens of people were injured in the explosion "Taleban and al-Qaeda are looking for chances to commit acts of terrorism to destabilise the situation and prove that they are still active," General Akin Zorlu said. There is a sense of tension in the street, with police officers and security officials walking around and breaking into vehicles to make sure there are no more bombs. Our correspondent says the bomb is a reminder of the formidable task that lies ahead if Isaf is to shore up the power of President Hamid Karzai`s government. Officers from three different security forces descended on the scene - local Afghan forces, American state department officers and Dutch and Spanish soldiers from the Isaf, whose job it is to provide security in Kabul. |
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| aus der Diskussion: | Afghanistan ! Taliban o. Al Qaida verüben Anschlag auf Präsident Karsai ! |
| Autor (Datum des Eintrages): | M_B_S (05.09.02 16:52:05) |
| Beitrag: | 3 von 8 (ID:7293279) |
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