[ad_1]
Photo taken by the US Air Force on September 2, 2018, General Scott Miller, Commander of US and NATO Troops in Afghanistan, delivers a speech at the Change of Command Ceremony of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghan officials announced on Thursday, October 18, 2018 that three senior officials from Kandahar Province had been killed by their own guards during an attack at a security meeting that had also injured two US soldiers. A Taliban spokesman who claimed the attack told The Associated Press that Miller was the target. NATO officials say Miller escaped unscathed. (Sergeant Sharida Jackson, Air Force, USA), via AP) (Associated Press)
KABUL, Afghanistan – Latest news on the situation in Afghanistan ahead of the country's general elections on Saturday (all times will be local):
7h
The UN Security Council has condemned several recent attacks in Afghanistan ahead of Saturday's parliamentary elections.
On Thursday, an elite guard attacked a delegation, leaving a high-level meeting on security plans for the elections. The gunman killed the powerful Kandahar police chief and at least one other senior Afghan official, but missed the US commander-in-chief, General Scott Miller. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed that Miller was the target.
The Security Council statement released last Thursday by UN headquarters said members had stressed the importance of security for the elections and that violence or threats to disrupt the elections were unacceptable.
___
18.30.
Afghan officials said three senior officials from Kandahar province were killed by their own guards during an attack at a security meeting that also injured three Americans.
A Taliban spokesman who claimed responsibility for the attack told the Associated Press that US General Scott Miller, commander of US troops and NATO in Afghanistan, was the target. NATO officials say Miller escaped unscathed.
Kandahar Deputy Governor, Agha Lala Dastageri, said that the powerful provincial police chief, Abdul Razik, and the head of the province's intelligence services, Abdul Mohmin, had died in the attack and that the governor from the province, Zalmay Wesa, had been wounded in a hospital.
Three Americans – a member of the armed forces and two civilian employees – were injured during the shooting, said US Colonel Knut Peters, spokesman for NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi assumed responsibility for the attack. He also said the three leaders had been killed.
The security meeting inside the provincial governor's residence extended ahead of Saturday's legislative elections.
___
17h
An Afghan television channel said that the Kandahar police chief was killed when members of the province's governor's elite guards shone their weapons on their own colleagues and on US troops present at a meeting of the police. high level on security in the province.
Two US troops were also wounded in the shooting.
General Scott Miller, commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, present at Thursday's meeting, was not injured.
According to Tolo TV, police chief Abdul Raziq was killed, while the governor of Kandahar and another official were injured.
US Colonel Knut Peters, spokesman for NATO troops in Afghanistan, said two wounded US soldiers had been evacuated for medical reasons.
Peters says the initial reports indicate that the original attacker is dead. He did not have any other information.
___
11h
A Taliban suicide bomber targeted a NATO convoy near the Afghan capital, leaving two dead and five wounded among Czech soldiers.
Afghan officials and the Czech army said the attack took place on Wednesday night in Bagram district, in Parwan province.
Wahida Shakar, spokesman for the provincial governor, said three Afghan civilians were also wounded.
Bagram is about 40 kilometers from Kabul and is also home to a large US military base.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.
One of the five Czech soldiers, one was seriously injured when their vehicle was knocked down as a result of the blast. The soldier was operated on and the Czech army declared that he was not in danger of dying.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
