Senior Afghan police intelligence officer assassinated

Force's intelligence director for the western Kabul zone has been killed by gunmen outside his home.

A senior Afghan police intelligence chief has been assassinated outside his home near the capital, a senior official has claimed. Police say Mohammed Gul was ambushed by gunmen on Wednesday night as he returned home from his office. A bodyguard also was killed. Kabul's criminal investigations chief, Abdul Ghfar Sayed Zada, said today that Mr Gul was the force's intelligence director for the western Kabul zone. He was in charge of preventing terrorist attacks and tracking down suspected insurgents.

Taliban and other insurgents often target Afghan officials to undermine government support and sow fear. *AP