TALOQAN (PAN): President Hamid Karzai's first vice president pick Marshal Qasim Fahim on Sunday survived an assassination attempt in the northern Kunduz province.
Fahim was travelling in a convoy to northern Takhar province from Kunduz province when came under attack from Taliban militants in Khanabad district of Kunduz province. Fahim escaped unhurt, but one of his guards was wounded in the ambush, a campaign official of Karzai in northeastern zone told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Zalmai Mujaddidi said the target was Fahim. He condemned the attack as a cowardly act.
Kunduz governor Engineer Omar strongly condemned the ambush. He said the attackers used heavy and light weapons during the assault.
Omar said the incident was under investigation.
Taliban mouthpiece Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack. He said their target was Fahim, but he escaped the assassination bid. Four of his security escorts lost their lives as a result of the attack, he added.
Last week, in a similar attack, Mohammad Nazeer Ahmadzai, head of election campaign for another presidential hopeful Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai narrowly escaped in the same province.