5 UAE staff among 12 killed in Afghanistan bombing

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Twelve people, including five humanitarian aid staff from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been killed in a bomb attack in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday.

The attack late Tuesday targeted the governor’s compound during a visit by the UAE ambassador. Both the governor, Humayun Azizi, and Ambassador Juma al-Kaabi were wounded in the blast.

Samim Khapalwak, the governor’s spokesman, told Anadolu Agency Azizi was in a critical condition.

A spokesman for the provincial government confirmed the death of 12 people in the attack, including Kandahar Deputy Governor Abdul Ali Shamsi and Yama Quraishi, an Afghan diplomat to the U.S.

Kandahar provincial police chief Gen. Abdul Raziq, who was unhurt in the attack, told reporters at a news conference that the bomb had been planted under a chair. At least 30 people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack.

The Khaama Press news agency reported the bomb had been planted in the guest house of the governor’s residence.

It also reported a Taliban denial of the attack. In a tweet, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the bombing was an “enemy internal dispute, not connected with Mujahidin”, the agency reported.

The explosion followed four other attacks on Tuesday, including a twin bombing in the capital Kabul that killed at least 45.

The UAE delegation was at the site to take part in an inauguration ceremony for an aid project.

“The UAE ambassador’s visit to Kandahar was on humanitarian mission within the program of the UAE to support the brotherly Afghan people,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added: “In these difficult moments, the ministry… in conjunction with the armed forces and the concerned state authorities as well as the Afghan government is following up the developments of this terrorist attack.”

The UAE officials were also due to sign an agreement with Kardan University in Kabul to offer UAE-funded scholarships.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack.

The dead Emiratis were named Mohammed Ali Zainal al-Bastaki, Abdullah Mohammed Essa Obaid al-Kaabi, Ahmed Rashid Salim Ali al-Mazroui, Ahmed Abdul Rahman Ahmad al-Tunaiji, and Abdul Hamid Sultan Abdullah Ibrahim al-Hammadi.

With Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the UAE was the only country to recognize the Taliban’s rule from 1996 to 2001.