KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): A powerful cousin of President Hamid Karzai was killed on Tuesday when a suicide bomber posing as guest set off his explosives at his residence in the Dand district of southern Kandahar province, officials said.
Hashmat Khalil Karzai, who was a member of the provincial council, was welcoming guests at his residence for Eidul Fitr when the blast occurred at around 10:30am, killing Khalil, the acting spokesman for the provincial governor said.
Dawa Khan Minapal said the well-dressed attacker had entered Khalil’s residence among the guests congratulating him on the occasion of Eid.
A security official, wishing not to be named, said the attacker had the explosives concealed in his turban. He blew up himself as Khalil greeted him. A second person was injured in the blast, he said.
A doctor on duty at the Mirwais Hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had been delivered the body of Khalil and an injured person to the hospital.
Khalil was a key member of presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s campaign team and was an influential person.
Ahmadzai condemned the killing of his adviser. “(We) condemn this act, of the enemies of AFG, in the strongest terms,” the former World Bank economist wrote on Twitter.
No one else was killed and security agents were investigating, the governor’s office said.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Ahmad Wali Karzai, half-brother of President Karzai, was shot dead by one of his guards inside his residence in Kandahar in July, 2011.
Wali Karzai was head of the provincial council at the time. The Taliban had claimed credit for his assassination.
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