KABUL, 22 March 2004 — More than 100 people died in fighting in the western Afghan city of Herat yesterday after the killing of a Cabinet minister who was the son of the powerful provincial governor.
Civil Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq, the son of Herat Gov. Ismail Khan, died after his car was hit by a rocket propelled grenade in the center of the city, Khan’s spokesman said.
“Unfortunately, he has been killed,” Ghulam Mohammad Masoan told Reuters. “He was in his car along with two police officers who were killed with him.”
Masoan blamed the killing on forces loyal to a senior government commander in the province, Zahir Nayebzada, who was recently appointed by President Hamid Karzai. He said it was the result of “a personal rivalry”.
Nayebzada denied killing the minister in an ambush. He accused Ismail Khan of provoking the fighting by trying to take command of his division and said Sadiq was killed after breaking into his residence.
“He broke into my house and started the fighting there,” Nayebzada said. “I did not kill Sadiq in an ambush; he was killed a clash afterward. More than 100 people have been killed on both sides.”
State television said there was also a failed attack on Ismail Khan, but his spokesman denied this. “There has been no attack on the governor,” he said.
Masoan said heavy fighting was going on in several areas of the city, which is about 100 km (60 miles) east of the Iranian border. “They are using RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and heavy machine guns,” he said.
