JALALABAD, Afghanistan - A newly elected Afghan parliamentarian was killed Sunday when a row about a fire in a woodyard erupted into an armed clash that left four men dead, government officials said. Esmatullah Muhabat, who won a seat in the lower house in parliament for eastern Laghman province, was the first MP to be killed since the September 18 election for Afghanistanâs first national assembly in about three decades.The fighting started after a businessman in Laghman captured one of Muhabatâs men in connection with a blaze at his firewood outlet late Saturday, an interior ministry spokesman said. He handed the man to police, Yousuf Stanizai said. Muhabat led a band of his men to confront the businessman early Sunday. âThis morning at 7:00 am, as a result, fighting erupted between the two. Three of Esmatullahâs guys were killed in the fighting and he himself was injured and later died,â Stanizai told AFP.
| Dang, someone knows how to shoot straight. |
Muhabat was one of thousands of mujahedin (holy warriors) who fought against the Soviet occupation between 1979 and 1989. He was arrested by US forces last year for suspected links to the hardline Taleban regime that was removed from power in a US-led invasion in late 2001, and spent a year in detention at the main US base at Bagram.
He was released four months ago and surrendered some weapons as part of a UN-backed disarmament programme. Despite the completion of the programme, many militia groups linked to mujahedin still maintain private armies. A second phase is under way to persuade these groups to disband.
Muhabat took the third of four seats from Laghman for parliamentâs lower house.
| Looks like they'll be holding a by-election. |