January 27, 2003	Monday	Ziqa’ad 23,1423

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KABUL, Jan 26: At least two Afghan security officers were killed Sunday in eastern Afghanistan after a shooting spree ended in an attack on a United Nations convoy, officials said.

UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva told AFP that no UN staff were injured in the attack on a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) four-vehicle convoy travelling in Nangarhar province.

“There were four vehicles escorted by one Afghan security vehicle. They saw a body lying on the road, they stopped to look to see if there was anything they could do.

“They realised the person was dead, the escort vehicle moved further on and came under fire from armed men.”

UNHCR’s chief Afghanistan spokesman Filippo Grandi said there were three men in the security vehicle, one of whom was killed at the scene on the road between Jalalabad and the Afghan capital Kabul.

“The driver and the other escort tried to escape but came under fire again. Reinforcement was sent from Jalalabad. The driver survived but a second man was killed.”

Grandi said local security officials had made arrests but it was not known who was behind the attack, which occurred at around 10.30am.

Nangarhar governor Haji Din Mohammed told AFP the attack on the UNHCR convoy was the final incident in a shooting spree by unknown assailants fleeing checkpoint security guards who discovered they had explosives.

Mohammed said one of the attackers was killed in a series of firefights which left one other injured.

“Around 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Jalalabad, a checkpost stopped three men carrying explosives and weapons in their vehicle. The security guards tried to stop them but they opened fire.—AFP