Roundup: Anti-Taliban commander in S. Afghanistan assassinated

Police chief of the southern Uruzgan province Matihullah Khan an implacable foe to the Taliban, was killed by the armed group in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, a spokesman for Uruzgan provincial government said Thursday.

"Matihullah Khan, the police chief of Uruzgan, left for Kabul on Wednesday morning for some official duty with the Interior Ministry, but was attacked by terrorists and killed Wednesday evening," Dost Mohammad Nayab told Xinhua.

The attacker, according to the official, was in Burqa, a traditional Afghan envelope-like veil used by women to cover their body from head to toe, blew himself up next to Khan.

Known for his hard-hearted and brutality against Taliban militants, the deceased Uruzgan police chief had fiercely fought against insurgents and had kept the Taliban fighters at bay in their former stronghold Uruzgan.

Earlier, Acting Governor of Uruzgan province Amanullah Timori told Xinhua "I can confirm that the police chief of Uruzgan province Matihullah Khan is killed."

The Taliban has claimed the responsibility for the assassination. A purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi said a suicide bomber targeted Khan in Kabul Wednesday night, killing him on the spot.

Another Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also claimed responsibility for the attack.

The killing of Khan could be an achievement for Taliban militants, who are fighting with the government forces in spring when the Afghan conflicts get momentum, according to observers. Endi