Afghanistan: The Taleban Strike Back - 6 September, 2002

A car bomb exploded in central Kabul at 14.30 MSK, killing 15 and wounding 20 people. Hours later, Prime Minister Hamid Karzai’s body guards opened fire on him in Kandahar but were shot dead by his US Special Forces bodyguards.

Police sources say the prime suspect is Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network or remnants of the Taleban who melted away when the regime fell. The bomb attack destroyed an area of the business centre of Kabul and went off at a time when the streets were full, spreading panic and sending a message of insecurity sweeping through the capital.

An eye-witness informed PRAVDA.Ru that a second, smaller explosion took place shortly after the first, although this has not been confirmed by other sources.

Hamid Karzai escaped unhurt from the shooting incident in Kandahar, the second attempt on his life within the space of a few months.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
PRAVDA.Ru