Former Afghan warlord killed in Kunduz

Former Afghan warlord killed in Kunduz

 

A former Afghan warlord and his bodyguards have been killed in a bombing at a football game in northern Afghanistan.

Nineteen people, including children, were injured in the attack.

Selab, a former militia commander and a supporter of the current Afghan government, an Afghan policeman, and a relative of Selab who worked as the commander's bodyguard were killed on Saturday evening in Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz province, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said.

Selab, who uses only one name, fought in the war against Soviet troops during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s and during the civil war that followed, Associated Press quoted deputy provincial police chief Abdul Rahman Haqtash as saying late on Saturday.

Selab had survived an assassination attempt four months ago when the Taliban planted a mine near his house. The blast killed one person and injured two others.

Meanwhile, an Afghan civilian was killed as he was trying to approach a NATO military base in southern Afghanistan.

A report by the alliance of occupiers said that their troops had chased off a group of insurgents after an armed clash when a man ran toward their base. Despite being ordered to stop, the man continued running and then the troops opened fire on him. He died later of his injuries, the German news agency dpa reported on Saturday.

Over 1,000 Afghan civilians have been killed in the first six months of 2010. In all of 2009, 2,400 civilians were killed, according to the United Nations and human rights groups.

FTP/HGL