Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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October 14, 2008

Afghan Provincial Official Assassinated
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1EB6636:A6F02AD83191E16062EE3A071E1C89BD5C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Police say roadside bomb was apparently intended to target NATO troops 
Two gunmen on a motorbike assassinated a senior official in southern
Afghanistan Tuesday, in a province where Taliban militant attacks and
violence are on the rise. The head of Kandahar province's labor and
social affairs department, Dost Mohammad Arghestani, and his bodyguard
were shot dead on their way to work. In response to the news, a
presidential spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, said the Afghan government is
working hard to protect public servants. Earlier in the day, Afghan
authorities said nine people died when a roadside bomb hit a small bus
in Kandahar. Police say the bomb was apparently intended for NATO
troops. Two children were among those killed. Also today, NATO said
three of its soldiers were killed when their vehicle was struck by a
roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. Separately Tuesday, the U.S.
military said a soldier with the U.S.-led coalition was killed in
southern Afghanistan. The U.S. military says the soldier was riding in a
vehicle that struck an improvised explosive device Monday. Several other
soldiers in the vehicle were wounded. Some information for this report
was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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