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| Afghanistan |
| Suicide bomber kills Afghani governor |
| 2006-09-10 |
| A SUICIDE bomber assassinated an Afghani provincial governor, as NATO said it killed almost 100 more Taliban fighters in its biggest offensive against the resurgent Islamist group. Governor Hakim Taniwal, a former mines minister who once lectured in an Australian university, is the first provincial chief killed since the Taliban fell five years ago, although there have been many assassinations attempts around the country. His driver also died when the bomber threw himself on the governor of Paktia province, bordering Pakistan, as he was entering his car, police said. The killing came as NATO said its forces and Afghani soldiers killed 94 Taliban insurgents in a battle in the southern province of Kandahar, the Taliban's heartland, in its biggest offensive against the rejuvenated Islamist movement. Backed by close air support, the militants were killed in two areas of Kandahar in four encounters that started on Saturday, NATO said in a statement. NATO did not say if there were any casualties among NATO or Afghani forces in the fighting in Zari and Panjwai districts. NATO has encountered heavier-than-expected fighting since taking over southern Afghanistan from US-led troops on July 31 to allow Washington to reduce its forces. If true, the latest casualties would bring to more than 400 the number of Taliban killed since NATO launched Operation Medusa just over a week ago. |
| Posted by:tipper |