February 2, 2003	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 29, 1423

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QUETTA, Feb 1: At least five persons, including a commander of the Afghan Army, and two other personnel were killed and seven others injured in two more explosions in the outskirts of Kandahar on Friday evening.

“Yes, two more explosions took place in Kandahar killing five persons,” Fazal Din Agha Ulaswal, the administrative head of the border town of Spin Buldak, confirmed.

The first blast occurred near the cantonment area, killing three persons on the spot. They were travelling in an army jeep towards their garrison during which the jeep hit a landmine.

“The Jeep blew up, killing an Afghan army commander and his two aides,” Mr Agha told Dawn by phone.

According to Afghan sources, the second explosion occurred in Killi Mullah Alam through remote control bomb, claiming two lives of civilian.

The bomb exploded during Afghan army’s door-to-door search for the arrest of Taliban and Al Qaeda suspect, who were stated to be responsible for laying the landmine under a bridge between Kandahar and Takhta Pul. The landmine exploded when the passenger bus hit the mine at the bridge.

“Remote control bomb planted to kill Afghan army personnel but it exploded before they reached the spot,” Afghan sources said late on Friday night. Both the civilians were close to the place where the bomb exploded.

A number of suspects has been taken into custody by the security authorities for questioning from both the sites of explosions.