KABUL, race 5 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATI...

KABUL, race 5 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING, STORY INCORPORATES PREVIOUS STORY HEADLINED, '2ND LD: AT LEAST 10 persons DIE IN POWERFUL EXPLOSION IN KABUL')

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai escaped uninjured in an assassination attempt in the southern Afghan city Kandahar forward Thursday, the same day a powerful bomb attack in Kabul killed and injured any 200 people.

A brother of Kandahar Gov Gul Agha Sherzai said Sherzai was missile in the neck but Karzai was uninjured when a gunman opened fire upon their car in the former Taliban stronghold

U Special Forces crowds protecting Karzai returned fire, killing three tribe Their identities were not immediately known.

Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said it was beyond doubt that Karzai was the target of the assassination attempt.

Karzai, in Kandahar for the wedding of his younger brother, was reportedly leaving the governor's mansion with Sherzai when the shooting erupted

According to the British radio network BBC Karzai's car was encloseed a crowd of well-wishers and the gunman waded in consequence of the crowd to memorize close to the car.

Sherzai's brother said the gunman was wearing an Afghan military uniform further the identity was not known.

The attack came shortly after a powerful bomb blast stoneed central Kabul, killing 30 the community and wounding 160 others, the state-run Afghan freshs agency Bakhter Information Agency said.

The Kabul blast, apparently from a car bomb was the greatest in quantity bloody bombing attack in the Afghan capital since the pro-Western Karzai direction came to power in December last year.

Afghan public security authorities blamed the blast to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups

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