Attackers hid guns in shoes: Weesa

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Southern Kandahar province Governor Tooryalai Weesa, who escaped unhurt in a brazen attack Saturday said the two suicide attackers who stormed into his office had guns hidden in their shoes and he was the target.

Addressing a joint press conference with police chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Raziq Achakzai, Weesa said the assailants entered the governor’s house with small pistols hidden in their shoes.

Both men were killed in the ensuing clash with security guards in the incident that took place at about 11 am.

He said the rebels were able to make it through a pair of security checks but were recognised by the guards at the last search point.

In the ensuing clash, the two insurgents and two police guards were killed, while a third guard was injured in the shootout.

The incident happened when Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Services Commission officials were conducting a test for government employees inside the compound.

The governor said none of the people attending the test was hurt.

“One of the attackers, identified as Javed, had visited the governor’s office a week back with an application seeking the release of his detained brother. But it seems he wanted to examine the compound for the attack,” the governor said.

In his application, Javed wrote: “My brother, Abdullah, has been arrested by foreign troops two years ago from their house and shifted to the Bagram airbase. We support the peace process and we are ready to offer our land as guarantee in return for the release of my brother under the reconciliation programme.”

Achakzai acknowledged that security officials at the governor’s house had made a mistake during the search at one point that enabled the attackers to slip into the house.

He claimed the attackers had used new techniques and skillfully hid their weapons in shoes because the scanner could not detect the arms.

The assailants first killed a policeman after snatching his AK-47 but later   more police arrived at the scene to eliminate the attackers.

The police chief said moments after the clash ended, police found a car and a motorcycle laden with explosives in front of the governor’s house.

He believed the attackers wanted to explode the two bomb-fitted vehicles before police reinforcement reached the scene.

To a question, he said police as a mark of respect did not search shoes of people visiting the governor’s house, but the rebels took advantage of that privilege.

However, he said they would be careful in the future and would tighten security around the governor’s house.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the failed attack on the governor, saying the two attackers entered the governor’s office to carry out the assassination.

Ma/vp

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