| The Taliban militant group has assassinated former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani at his home in the capital city of Kabul. |
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The Taliban militant group has assassinated former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani at his home in the capital city of Kabul, Press TV reports.
Rabbani, who was also head of Afghanistan's Peace Council, was killed when he was in a meeting with Taliban militants and one militant blew himself up during the meeting on Tuesday, a Press TV correspondent reported.
The militant detonated his explosives that were reportedly concealed in his turban. Five senior Afghan officials, who were present in the gathering, were also killed in the explosion.
The head of the joint secretariat of the High Council for Peace Massum Stanikzai was wounded in Tuesday's bomb attack. Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The meeting was a prearranged session for Rabbani, who had arrived in Kabul from the United Arab Emirates earlier on Tuesday, according to Afghan sources.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cut short his trip to the United Nations in New York following the incident. As head of Afghanistan peace council, Rabbani was in charge of Afghan-Taliban talks aimed at reintegrating militants who are willing to lay down their arms.
The initiative to form a peace council was adopted at a traditional gathering, or Jirga, in June 2010 following the failure of the US-led forces in establishing peace in Afghanistan.