An Afghan tribal leader has been reported killed in the southern Kandahar Province, the latest in a wave of assassinations blamed on Taliban insurgents.
Local officials said Haji Abdul Rahman, a tribal chieftain in Arghandab district, was walking home when he was shot dead by unknown assailants who fled the scene.
The Arghandab district governor, Abdul Jabar, blamed the killing on Taliban militants.
According to official figures, Rahman's death brings to 13 the number of community leaders and government officials who have been killed by suspected militants in less than two months in the restive province.
Reports suggest that U.S. and NATO forces are preparing a major offensive in Kandahar, a traditional stronghold of the hard-line Taliban.
compiled from agency reports