KABUL (AP) – The governor of the volatile southern Afghan province of Kandahar survived an assassination attempt when a bomb targeting his convoy exploded as he headed for Friday prayers to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The remote-controlled roadside bomb damaged Turyalai Wesa’s car and blew out one of the vehicle’s windows, but the governor was unhurt, said spokesman Zelmai Ayubi. He said one policeman was wounded in the blast.
Kandahar, a city of an estimated 800,000, is an important piece in the battle for Afghanistan. The city and the outlying province of the same name is expected to be a focus of the additional buildup of tens of thousands of troops that President Barack Obama is expected to order for Afghanistan.