Gunmen in Army Uniforms Kill Afghan District Governor

Slain Official Had Been 'Acting Governor' for Over a Year

District Governor Sayed Mohammad, the “acting” governor of the Bak District of Khost Province, Afghanistan was killed today when four men dressed in Afghan Army uniforms opened fire on his vehicle near the district headquarters.

Khost Provincial police reported that Mohammad was on his way to his office at the time of the attack, which local Taliban spokesmen took credit for shortly after it was announced.

The spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that Mohammad had been assassinated for “his support for the government and US-led soldiers in Afghanistan.” The attack was part of what police warned was a growing trend of attacks in the region.

Mujahid has been an on-again, off-again spokesman in the region, though officials say it is unclear if he is affiliated directly with the Afghan Taliban or with one of the other factions in the region, likely either the Haqqani network or the Hezb-e Islami faction.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.