Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Half-Brother of Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, Assassinated By His own Security – Taliban Takes Credit

Ahmed Wali Karzai,  the half brother of  Afghanistan’s president  Hamid Karzai, has been shot dead by one of his long time bodyguards. The Taliban has taken credit for the assassination. Ahmed Wali Karzai was shot twice by his long time head of security Sardar Mohammed, who was himself killed almost immediately. This should add some further instability to an already unstable situation in Afghanistan.

One of his bodyguards shot him on Tuesday at his house, a heavily-fortified compound in Kandahar city, Zalmay Ayoubi, spokesperson for the governor of Kandahar province said.

“A guard of Ahmed Wali Karzai named Sardar Mohammad opened fire and killed him. The other guards shot and killed Sardar Mohammad,” Mr Ayoubi said. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

President Karzai held a press conference in Kabul:

President Karzai held a press conference in Kabul with French President Nicolas Sarkozy barely two hours after the shooting and, speaking in a steady voice, confirmed his brother’s death. “This is the life of Afghan people, this sorrow is in every Afghan home, everyone of us has this sorrow,” he said.