Afghan leader survives assassination attempt [View All]

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1095339420150B212

September 16 2004 at 03:45PM

By Ahmad Masood

Gardez - Afghan President Hamid Karzai escaped an assassination attempt on Thursday when a rocket was fired at his United States military helicopter as it was landing in the south-eastern town of Gardez.

The president's campaign trip for the October 9 presidential elections, his first outside Kabul, was immediately aborted and he was flown back to capital Kabul, US military and Afghan officials said.

Witnesses said the rocket flew over Karzai's helicopter and a crowd of about 400 supporters gathered to meet him at a school as he was about to touch down, but caused no injuries.

"A rocket was fired at President Karzai as his helicopter was landing," said US military spokesman Major Mark McCann. "It missed and landed about 300m from a school in the vicinity of the landing area."