Rockets fired near Kabul peace assembly, Karzai unhurt

KABUL - Two rockets fired by militants landed near the venue of a peace assembly or ‘jirga’ inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai in the Afghanistan capital Wednesday but there were no casualties, officials said.

The two rockets landed near the Intercontinental hotel close to the venue of the National Consultative Peace Jirga while Karzai was delivering his speech, but no one was wounded in the attack, Xinhua quoted a security official as saying on condition of anonymity.

Around 1,600 people, including tribal chieftains, parliamentarians, social and political figures as well as government officials, had gathered Wednesday under a giant tent in Kabul to discuss the ways and means on how to enhance the government-initiated reconciliation process with the Taliban.

On Tuesday, the Taliban had termed the government-initiated jirga as “phony” and vowed to continue its war.

DPA adds: Helicopters were hovering over the area in Kabul as sounds of small-arms fire continued to be heard.

The explosions occurred about 500 metres east of the jirga’s meeting site in the capital, while gunfire was heard to the west.