Kandahar, Afghanistan — A Muslim cleric close to U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai was gunned down in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.
Habibullah, who used one name, was killed Wednesday outside a mosque in the village Kalacha in Deh Rawood district, about 150 kilometres north of Kandahar, said Aminullah Khalqi, head of the district administration.
He said six people had been detained.
Mr. Karzai issued a statement Saturday condemning Habibullah's murder and pledging authorities would do all they could to track down his killers.
Mr. Karzai and Mr. Khalqi blamed Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime and allies in Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network.
Remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida in the recent months have stepped up attacks on foreigners, government officials and those supporting the policies of Mr. Karzai's fledging government.
The Deh Rawood district is home to Mullah Mohammed Omar, fugitive Taliban leader wanted by the United States.
The attack on Habibullah followed the April 4 killing of another Karzai ally the same area.
Haji Gilani and his nephew were gunned down outside their home in Deh Rawood by six gunmen.
While officials have identified one of them as the brother of a former Taliban commander, it remains unclear whether the killing had a political motive.
Mr. Gilani was the first man to give Mr. Karzai shelter when he launched his anti-Taliban revolt weeks before the religious militia collapsed in the face of a U.S.-led assault in late 2001.
Also Saturday, two Afghan soldiers were wounded when a bomb exploded at the residence of the governor of the southern province Helmand.
The bomb was planted under a tree at the residence of Haji Sher Mohammed, governor of Helmand province, in Lashkargah, 150 kilometres northwest of Kandahar.
It exploded about 10 minutes after Mohammed had walked past the spot to get into a car, his spokesman Haji Mohammed Wali said.
Mr. Wali blamed militants loyal to the Taliban and to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar for the attack but provided no details.
