Kabul’s deputy governor killed with ‘sticky bomb’ attached to his car

Kabul’s Deputy Governor Mahboobullah Mohebi and his secretary have been killed, with what has been described to be a ‘sticky bomb’ attached to his car in Afghanistan on Tuesday, December 15.

According to the police, the ‘sticky bomb’ was attached to Mohebi’s car by unknown assailants as he was travelling with his security guards when the blast occurred.

Afghanistan’s news outlet, TOLO TV, quoting Kabul police, reported on Twitter that “Mahboobullah Mohebi, the deputy governor of Kabul, and his secretary were killed in a blast from an IED placed on their vehicle.”

The police said no group has claimed responsibility for the blast in which two of Mohebi’s guards were also injured, but that full blown investigations have commenced.

Last week, an Afghan government prosecutor was also shot dead in eastern Kabul on his way to work.

Read also: Bomb explosion kills four travellers in Afghanistan

A tweet by the Afghan police read:

“Mohibullah Mohammadi, Dep. Gov. of Kabul, and his secretary were killed in a blast from an IED placed on their vehicle in Macroryan 4 in Kabul’s PD9 today.

“Two of his bodyguards were wounded in the blast,” it said.

This is the latest in a spate of killings and assassinations in the troubled country. Also on Tuesday, a deputy provincial council member was reportedly killed after a similar attack in Ghor province.

The Afghan capital has also been hit by rockets twice this month, and recently saw attacks on educational centers, including a massacre of students at a university. The Islamic State group said it had carried out the student killings and one of the rocket attacks.

Several recent attacks on individuals have used the so-called “sticky bombs” attached to vehicles by magnets.

Violence involving the Taliban has also continued despite peace talks between the group and Afghan officials in Doha, Qatar.

The negotiations, which have seen some progress on preliminary issues, have now been paused until January as the two sides are yet to begin discussing a ceasefire or power-sharing arrangement.

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