Afghan Government officials Thursday afternoon confirmed Kandahar police chief Gen. Abdul Raziq was killed in an attack after a high-profile meeting in Kandahar, TOLONews reported.
The incident happened when officials were leaving the governor’s office and were making their way to a helipad. General Abdul Momin Hassankhail, head of the provincial National Directorate of Security (NDS), was also killed.
The governor, Zalmai Wesa, and the commander of Maiwand 404 police zone, were wounded.
Among those who had been at the meeting were Gen. Austin Scott Miller, Resolute Support Commander and other high profile officials.
Resolute Support issued a statement however on Thursday night to say the Miller had escaped unharmed but that two Americans and a coalition force member were wounded.
No further details have been given on casualties but it is understood that others might have been killed or wounded.
TN, citing sources, stated that the attack was initiated by at least one of the governor’s bodyguards.
No official comment has yet been made as of yet.
President Ashraf Ghani stated on Thursday night that a high-ranking delegation of security officials and special forces would be deployed to Kandahar to investigate the incident.
In August last year, in a special interview with Gen. Abdul Raziq, Kandahar Police Chief, TN quoted him saying that a nationwide campaign against the Taliban was needed and that he believed the group “was puppets of other countries”.
Col. Knut Peters, a Resolute Support spokesman said in a statement Thursday evening : “There was a situation at the Kandahar palace today. Initial reports indicate this was an Afghan-on-Afghan incident. Two Americans were wounded in the cross-fire and they have been medically evacuated. General Miller is uninjured. We are being told the area is secure. Initial reports also say the attacker is dead.”
In reaction to the Raziq’s death, former head of National Directorate of Security Amrullah Saleh said: “Can’t find weighty & dignified enough words to express my grief & pain for the loss of my compatriot & brother Gen. Razeq. He was the architect of stability in Kandahar by establishing a political network deep at grassroots level in support of State & ANDSF. It is a pan Afghanistan loss.”
