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Ten killed in suicide blast during Karzai inauguration

Article published on the 2009-11-19 Latest update 2010-01-07 12:18 TU

Hamid Karzai is sworn in 19 November(Photo: Reuters)

Hamid Karzai is sworn in 19 November
(Photo: Reuters)

A suicide bomber has killed 10 civilians in southern Afghanistan, the second attack on the same day President Hamid Karzai was sworn into office. The bombing in Uruzgan province followed a suicide attack in neighbouring Zabul, which killed two US soldiers.

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"Ten civilians were killed and 13 others were injured," Uruzgan deputy police chief Mohammad Gulab Wardak told AFP.

The bomber was wearing an explosive-packed vest which he detonated near a convoy of Afghan security forces, he said.

Also Thursday, police said Afghan security forces backed by tribal militia killed six Taliban militants in fighting in south-western Farah province.

The attack on the Taliban was launched after the rebels beheaded two tribal leaders on the weekend, said provincial police chief, Faqir Mohammad Askar.

A US-led offensive in late 2001 pushed the Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan, but the Islamist insurgents are now waging a campaign of attacks as part of an expanding campaign to topple the new Western-backed government.

Karzai, in a wide-ranging speech following his inauguration in Kabul pledged to convene a "loya jirga" or grand assembly of tribal leaders to push for peace and reconcile some Taliban leaders.

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