Afghan vice president narrowly escapes death for a second time
Source: Reuters
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan’s vice president, Abdul Rashid Dostum, escaped unhurt from an attack that killed one of his bodyguards on Saturday, dodging death for the second time since returning from exile last year.
Attackers ambushed Dostum’s convoy on the way from Mazar-i-Sharif, a city in Balkh province, to Jawzjan province in northern Afghanistan, said Bashir Ahmad Tayenj, spokesman for Dostum’s Junbish Party. Two other bodyguards were wounded.
Dostum was aware of a planned attack but decided to travel anyway, the spokesman added.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt, which comes eight months after Dostum avoided injury in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport. In a tweet, the militant group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said four guards were killed and six wounded in the attack.
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WORLD NEWS MARCH 30, 2019 / 11:59 AM / UPDATED 41 MINUTES AGO
Abdul Matin Sahak
2 MIN READ
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-dostum/afghan-vice-president-narrowly-escapes-death-for-a-second-time-idUSKCN1RB0HO