Guard killed in explosion at Tajik presidential palace

Guard killed in explosion at Tajik presidential palace

A guard was killed in an explosion at the Tajik presidential palace. Officials call this a terror attack.

The explosion occurred when a guard touched a plastic bag left outside the palace, which was to host an international conference sponsored by the European Union on dealing with consequences of natural disasters.

"We consider it a terror attack," said Kurbanali Mukhabbatov, the chief prosecutor of the Tajik capital.

President Emomali Rakhmon was in the Khudzhand region in northern Tajikistan on Wednesday for ceremonies marking his ascent to power in the ex-Soviet nation 15 years ago.