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Ex-Afghan president Rabbani assassinated
Source: Agencies |
September 21, 2011, Wednesday
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THE head of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who had been tasked with trying to negotiate a political end to the war, was killed at his home yesterday, a senior police officer said.
His residence is in Kabul's heavily guarded diplomatic enclave, and the attack came just a week after a 20-hour siege at the edge of the area sometimes known as the "green zone."
The turban bomber entered Rabbani's house and blew himself up inside, said Mohammad Zahir, the chief of criminal investigation for the Kabul police. "Rabbani has been martyred."
A police source said Masoom Stanekzai, a senior adviser to President Hamid Karzai, was badly injured in the attack. "Masoom Stanekzai is alive but badly wounded," the source said.
President Karzai cut short a visit to the United States over the attack, which dealt a harsh blow to peace efforts after a decade of war.
Rabbani, a former leader of a powerful mujahideen party during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, was chosen by Karzai to head the High Peace Council last October.
His plan included offering amnesties and jobs to Taliban foot soldiers and asylum in third countries to leaders.
"This is a big blow to peace process and huge loss for Afghanistan," said Sadiqa Balkhi, a member of peace council. "Professor Rabbani was an influential and spiritual leader and was successful in luring Taliban fighters into the peace process."
Rabbani served as president in the 1990s when mujahideen factions waged war for control of the country after the Soviet withdrawal.
The assassination comes a week after a 20-hour gun and grenade attack that on Kabul's diplomatic enclave by insurgents, and three suicide bomb attacks on other parts of the city - together the longest-lasting and most wide-ranging assault on the city.
Last week's siege was the third major attack on the Afghan capital since June and included three suicide bombing. At least five policemen and 11 civilians were killed.
All three of those attacks are believed to be the work of the Haqqani network, a Taliban-allied insurgent faction, based along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
His residence is in Kabul's heavily guarded diplomatic enclave, and the attack came just a week after a 20-hour siege at the edge of the area sometimes known as the "green zone."
The turban bomber entered Rabbani's house and blew himself up inside, said Mohammad Zahir, the chief of criminal investigation for the Kabul police. "Rabbani has been martyred."
A police source said Masoom Stanekzai, a senior adviser to President Hamid Karzai, was badly injured in the attack. "Masoom Stanekzai is alive but badly wounded," the source said.
President Karzai cut short a visit to the United States over the attack, which dealt a harsh blow to peace efforts after a decade of war.
Rabbani, a former leader of a powerful mujahideen party during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, was chosen by Karzai to head the High Peace Council last October.
His plan included offering amnesties and jobs to Taliban foot soldiers and asylum in third countries to leaders.
"This is a big blow to peace process and huge loss for Afghanistan," said Sadiqa Balkhi, a member of peace council. "Professor Rabbani was an influential and spiritual leader and was successful in luring Taliban fighters into the peace process."
Rabbani served as president in the 1990s when mujahideen factions waged war for control of the country after the Soviet withdrawal.
The assassination comes a week after a 20-hour gun and grenade attack that on Kabul's diplomatic enclave by insurgents, and three suicide bomb attacks on other parts of the city - together the longest-lasting and most wide-ranging assault on the city.
Last week's siege was the third major attack on the Afghan capital since June and included three suicide bombing. At least five policemen and 11 civilians were killed.
All three of those attacks are believed to be the work of the Haqqani network, a Taliban-allied insurgent faction, based along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
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