Roundup: Donkey bomb, a new trick of Afghan militants, kills police officer

By Abdul Haleem, Chen Xin

KABUL, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The anti-government militants in Afghanistan use a new tactic that took many into surprise - using innocent donkey as bomb that claimed the life of a senior police officer and injured three others in the western Ghor province 360 km west of Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, police confirmed.

"The rebels planted mine on a donkey and stopped it near the gate of the district headquarters of Charsada district and when the district police chief arrived at the gate to go to his office, the rebels exploded it by remote control, killing the police chief on the spot," police chief of Ghor province, Dilawar Shah Dilawar told Xinhua.

The new but bloody tactic which was implemented at around 09:00 a.m. local time had also killed the non-combatant donkey, Dilawar added.

Three more policemen were injured in the blast, he further said.

He put the attack on Taliban militants. However, the outfit fighting the government has yet to comment.

Condemning the incident, Dilawar said that the trick exposes Taliban cruelty against both human being and animals.

This is the first time that militants fighting the Afghan government have been using donkey as military equipment to mount pressure on the establishment.

As the main armed opposition outfit, the Taliban militants, who have been fighting the Afghan administration and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), often use suicide attack and roadside bombings as their attack method.

Using donkey from among domestic animals family by anti- government militants in the conflict-ridden Afghanistan according to locals is the first time of its kind that has been reported.

In addition to killing the district police in Ghor province, the militancy-plagued Afghanistan has also experienced violent incidents in other provinces on the same day Monday.

Anti-government militants in a related incident gunned down the deputy to police chief of Shindand district in Herat province 640 km west of capital Kabul on Monday morning, police said.

"Two unknown armed men riding a motorbike opened fire and killed the deputy police chief of Shindand district in the morning rush hour today," inspector general police of Herat province, Sayed Aqa Saqib said.

In a related development, three bodies were found in Saripul district 350 km north of capital Kabul on Monday. Local officials, according to local media, have blamed Taliban for the abduction and killing of the trio ill-fated men.

Militancy has been on constant rise in Afghanistan since launching the so-called spring offensive by Taliban outfit in May 3 this year. The outfit said anyone works for government or NATO- led force is its target. Enditem