Ex-Afghan Prez Burhanuddin Rabbani assassinated by Taliban

Kabul, Sept 21: Terror has come back in Afghanistan when former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani was assassinated by suicide bombers on Tuesday at his residence. Rabbani was heading the government peace council to deal with the issue of Taliban insurgents. The assassins hid the explosives in their turbans, officials claimed.

In a major setback to the peace initiatives by Afgan President Hamid Karzai, he is understood to have cut short his US trip on hearing the news. Rabbani was killed along with four of his bodyguards. A key presidential adviser was wounded as well in the impact of the attack.

The bomber is understood to have entered Rabbani's house in Kabul later blowing himself up, revealed Mohammad Zahir, the chief of criminal investigation of the Kabul police.

Rabbani has also served as the nominal head of the Northern Alliance comprising predominantly by minority Tajiks and Uzbeks. There have also been widespread allegations that Hamid Karazai have been making alliances with the Taliban. The assassination could also dent the US efforts to bring peace back to the region, with Rabbani playing a key role in making peace with Taliban insurgents.

OneIndia News