Taliban claims responsibility for Kabul blast
24/9/2008 17:43
Taliban militants fighting the Afghan government have claimed
responsibility for the bomb blast that left two police dead and injured Ali Shah
Paktiawal, the deputy to inspector general of Kabul police today.
Zabihullah
Mujahid who claims to speak for militants told media that Taliban loyalists
detonated a mine this morning killing five police constables and wounding
Paktiawal.
"Taliban fighters, after attacking and killing three policemen in
the 5th precinct of Kabul last night, planted a mine and when the investigating
team under Paktiawal reached the area for inspection, we detonated it killing
five police and wounding Paktiawal," Taliban's purported spokesman
asserted.
However, locals at the site of the incident disputed the Taliban
claim, adding two police were killed and Paktiawal was slightly
injured.
Earlier, a police official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity
that it occurred at around 9 a.m. (GMT0430) when a police team led by Ali Shah
Paktiawal was searching in the area and struck by an IED (Improvised Explosive
Device) attack.
"At least two policemen were killed on the spot and two more
were injured," he said.
Ali Shah Paktiawal, the head of the Criminal
Investigation Department of Kabul police, is the highest police official that
has been targeted by militants over the past three years.
Previously, Taliban
militants by carrying out a bomb attack killed Kabul police chief Khakrizwal and
several others when he attended a memorial service in his home province Kandahar
some three years ago.
As a change of tactics, Taliban insurgents and their
al-Qaida allies have restored roadside bombing and suicide attacks against
interests of government and international troops.
A similar roadside bombing
by Taliban militants claimed the life of Abdullah Wardak of Logar province near
the Afghan capital city Kabul on Sept. 13.
Conflicts and spiraling insurgency
have claimed the lives of over 4,000 people with around 1,445 civilians so far
this year in the war-torn country.
Xinhua
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