Kabul, 9 April 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says militants from the fundamentalist Hezb-i-Islami party are the primary suspects in yesterday's apparent assassination attempt against Defense Minister Mohammad Fahim. Fahim's chief of staff, Kerramuddin, told RFE/RL today that investigators think there is a link between the bomb attack on Fahim's motorcade in Jalalabad and the arrest earlier this month of 160 Hezb-i-Islami members loyal to former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
"The arrests that were recently made in Kabul were groups from Hekmatyar's intelligence -- which are committing acts of sabotage. The attempt [against Fahim] in Jalalabad also was most probably the work of Hezb-i-Islami intelligence networks."
Kerramuddin says there are several suspected motives behind yesterday's attack. Among them, he said, are the goals of derailing Afghanistan's UN-backed political transition process and preventing the scheduled return of former King Zahir Shah later next week.
Officials today said police in Jalalabad have made a series of arrests in connection with yesterday's explosion. But formal charges have not been filed. The blast killed four people and injured 18 others. Fahim was not injured.
"The arrests that were recently made in Kabul were groups from Hekmatyar's intelligence -- which are committing acts of sabotage. The attempt [against Fahim] in Jalalabad also was most probably the work of Hezb-i-Islami intelligence networks."
Kerramuddin says there are several suspected motives behind yesterday's attack. Among them, he said, are the goals of derailing Afghanistan's UN-backed political transition process and preventing the scheduled return of former King Zahir Shah later next week.
Officials today said police in Jalalabad have made a series of arrests in connection with yesterday's explosion. But formal charges have not been filed. The blast killed four people and injured 18 others. Fahim was not injured.