A half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and one of the most powerful men in southern Afghanistan was shot dead at his home Tuesday, apparently by a senior and highly trusted bodyguard, officials said.
Ahmad Wali Karzai was a controversial figure, but his assassination will leave a dangerous power vacuum in Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace and a focus of recent efforts by a “surge” of US troops to turn the tide against the insurgency.
He also played a critical role in shoring up his brother’s influence in the south, and Mr Karzai may find his reach there limited.
“My younger brother was martyred in his house today. This is the life of all Afghan people. I hope these miseries which every Afghan family faces will one day end,” Mr Karzai said at a Kabul press conference. He gave no more details. Ahmad Wali Karzai was shot dead by Sardar Mohammad, a senior member of his security detail who once guarded the President, a source at the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence agency, said.
Ahmad Wali Karzai had died almost instantly as he was shot in the head and chest. Mohammad was shot dead by other bodyguards moments after opening fire, the source said. —Reuters