By Ayesha Tanzeem
VOA News
December 15, 2020

ISLAMABAD – The deputy governor of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul was killed in a targeted attack Tuesday morning when someone stuck a magnetic mine, also called a sticky bomb, to his car.

Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said the attack on Mahbubullah Muhibbi also killed his secretary and wounded two of his guards.

A second magnetic bomb attack Tuesday in Ghor province killed the deputy head of the provincial council, Abdur Rehman, and wounded another council member.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for either attack.

Sticky bombs have become commonly used in target killings in Afghanistan. Last month, a journalist was targeted using the same method.

Meanwhile, police officials say one policeman was shot dead and two others wounded in the Bagrami district of Kabul province.

Violence has continued unabated in the country despite the start of peace negotiations between the Taliban and the government.

“Unfortunately another attack today, people are tired of terrorist attacks every day. Taliban has to agree on cease-fire to stop the killing and more bloodshed,” tweeted the state human rights minister, Sima Samar.

The two negotiating teams of Taliban and the Afghan government have taken a break from negotiations in Doha and are expected to return to talk on January 5. The teams have agreed on the principles and code of conduct of negotiations and are now in the process of hashing out an agenda for the talks.