Afghanistan’s Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has survived an assasination attempt by the Taliban when his convoy was moving from Balkh to Jawzjan province in the north of Afghanistan on Saturday, Kanishka Turkistani, a close aide to Dostum, confirmed. He said that Dostum was not hurt in the attacks.
According to sources, one bodyguard of the first vice president was killed and two others were wounded. The Mazar-Sheberghan highway which connects the two provinces is 134 kilometers in length and needs two hours drive, according to Afghanistan’s Tolo news.
Dostum, who has joined Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s election team, returned to Balkh from an abroad trip on Saturday afternoon. He appeared at a gathering in Balkh and said that he will “eliminate” the Taliban from the north within six months if he is given the chance.
It is the second attempt on Gen Dostum’s life since the ethnic Uzbek and former warlord returned from self-imposed exile last July. He also the US oust the Taliban in 2001 but has been blamed for some of the worst atrocities in the country’s long-running civil war. Taliban in a statement claimed the attack and said four guards were killed and six others wounded. (UNI)
