KABUL, Sept 9: Afghan President Hamid Karzai cut short an event on Sunday to mark the 2001 murder by Al Qaeda operatives of resistance hero Ahmad Shah Massoud after police opened fire to control a commotion outside the venue.

Karzai, who has survived two assassination attempts, abruptly wrapped up an address on the advice of his security staff as the commotion grew, with several hundred men rattling a large gate and throwing stones.

In the initial confusion about what happened, authorities denied shots were fired and said the sound was caused by stones hitting the metal gate.

But a senior security official later said that police had fired warning shots into the air to rein in the mob of people who had arrived late and were trying to force their way into the venue.—AFP