Politician among dead as bomber targets Afghan wedding

Published on 15/07/2012 00:00

A SUICIDE bomber blew himself up at a wedding in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 23 people including a warlord-turned-politician and three Afghan security officials.

Ahmad Khan Samangani, an ethnic Uzbek and anti-Soviet guerrilla leader in the 1980s who later became a member of parliament, was welcoming guests to his daughter’s wedding when the explosion occurred in Aybak, the capital of Samangan province.

President Hamid Karzai said 23 people were killed and about 60, including government officials, were wounded in yesterday’s attack, which he condemned and said was ­“carried out by the enemies of Afghanistan”.

He ordered a team from Kabul to fly to the northern province to investigate the bombing. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast. However, in announcing its spring offensive on 2 May, the Taleban said it would continue to target those who back the Karzai ­regime and the American-led 
international military coalition.

Separately, Nato said one of its service members was killed yesterday in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan. It did not provide further details. The death brings the toll among foreign troops to 19 so far this month and a total of 234 this year.

Mohammad Nawab Sherzai, criminal investigations director in Aybak who was helping provide security for the wedding, said most of the ­local guests had already gathered on the second and third floors of the three-storey wedding hall when the explosion occurred yesterday morning. Samangani and other relatives and elders had moved to the first floor to welcome additional guests arriving from Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of neighbouring Balkh province.

“Suddenly, the attacker, who was among the guests from Mazar-i-Sharif, got very close to Samangani. He detonated his suicide vest,” Sherzai said. “It was a big explosion.”
 Samangani became famous during Afghanistan’s fight against the Soviets, who left the country in 1989 after a ten-year occupation. He became an MP last year and was linked to the Northern Alliance.