KANDAHAR, June 4: A Taliban suicide car bomber killed at least four Afghans here on Sunday in an attack on the provincial governor as he travelled with a convoy of Canadian troops, officials said.
Elsewhere in the country, four policemen were kidnapped by suspected Taliban.
Governor Assadullah Khalid survived the suicide attack in the heart of the city. A spokesman for the Nato-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan said none of the Canadian troops was hurt.
“The target of the attack was the governor,” governor’s spokesman Dawud Ahmadi said, adding that four people had been killed and 13 others wounded.
Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammed Yousuf called Reuters to claim responsibility for the attack.
In Zabul, Afghan troops killed four Taliban and captured three hiding in a village in the Shah Joy district.
A Taliban commander crossed the border from Kandahar to speak to Reuters in Chaman.
“At least 40 suicide bombers in my group are ready for attacks,” said Mullah Hayat Khan, a commander in Spin Boldak. “It is now not very difficult to prepare suicide attackers. In the past, Al Qaeda used to prepare Taliban for suicide attacks but now we have gained expertise. I myself am able to train people,” he said.
Taliban kidnapped four policemen after attacking their checkpost in Farah, the provincial governor said.—Reuters/AFP
