Afghan president escapes assassination bid
Updated: 2008-04-27 16:50
KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai escaped unhurt after an assassination attempt by Taliban fighters with guns and rockets during an official celebration in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday.
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Government ministers along with leaders of other political factions were seen ducking for cover after gunfire sounded at the celebration to mark the 16th anniversary of fall of the Afghan communist government to the mujahideen.
Karzai later appeared on state television.
"Today, the enemies of Afghanistan, the enemies of Afghanistan's security and progress tried to disrupt the ceremony and cause disorder and terror," Karzai said.
"Fortunately, Afghanistan's military forces surrounded them quickly and arrested some of the suspects," he said.
The Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said three of its fighters were killed.
British ambassador Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles was standing on the front row of the dais alongside the US envoy to Kabul.
"It was coming to the end of the 21-gun salute. I saw an explosion and a puff of dust to the left of the parade and then heard the crackle of small arms fire from all directions. After some hesitation my bodyguard frog-marched me away," he told Reuters.
All cabinet members and foreign diplomats present at the parade, along with General Dan McNeill, US commander of international forces in Afghanistan, were safe and well, spokesmen said.
But one person was killed and 11 wounded, including a member of parliament, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
TALIBAN ATTACKERS KILLED
A Reuters witness saw around four civilians wounded. The firing appeared to have come from a building located a few hundred meters (yards) from the site, a road which is blocked off for official parades with a dais on one side, close to the presidential palace.
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