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Karzai unhurt after parade attack | |
(20 minutes later) | |
At least one person has been killed and 11 were hurt in an attack on a military parade in Kabul attended by President Hamid Karzai and other dignitaries. | |
Security forces whisked Mr Karzai away from the scene and hundreds fled as shots rang out. Two MPs were reported to be among the wounded. | |
The parade was a celebration to mark 16 years since the overthrow of the country's Soviet-backed rule. | The parade was a celebration to mark 16 years since the overthrow of the country's Soviet-backed rule. |
A spokesman for the Taleban said the movement had carried out the attack. | |
The attack caused panic among troops at the tightly guarded event | |
He said six militants had been deployed near the parade with suicide vests and guns. Three of them were killed and the other three arrested, he added. | |
In a live TV address after the incident, Mr Karzai confirmed that there had been arrests. | |
"Fortunately Afghan security forces quickly surrounded them," he said. "Some of them were captured." | |
"Everything is calm, rest assured." | |
Mr Karzai has frequently been the target of assassination attempts in recent years. | |
Anthem playing | |
The parade, in central Kabul, was part of Afghan National Day celebrations, marking the capture of Kabul from the Soviet-backed government by the mujahideen in 1992. | The parade, in central Kabul, was part of Afghan National Day celebrations, marking the capture of Kabul from the Soviet-backed government by the mujahideen in 1992. |
The national anthem was being played when the attack started. | The national anthem was being played when the attack started. |
Live TV showed President Karzai standing on a huge stage surrounded by a crowd of MPs, cabinet members, military commanders and foreign diplomats. | |
Automatic weapons were fired into the crowd and two people, apparently MPs, were seen slumping into their chairs. | |
The US and UK ambassadors and the Nato military commander were among dignitaries bundled away by security forces. | |
Live TV coverage of the event was cut off shortly afterwards, and the state channel switched to music. | |
Sirajudin, a police officer at the scene, told the Associated Press news agency he saw two people firing AK-47 assault rifles from a house toward the area of the stage. | |
At least one explosion followed the gunfire, and security forces returned fire. | |
Soldiers dressed in ceremonial garb were seen running from the scene. | |
The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul says there was a sense of panic in the streets, with people unsure how serious the incident had been. | |
The event, which had been shrouded in tight security for days, was cancelled soon afterwards. | |
Police and army are now in control of the area. |