Wounded Afghan Intelligence Chief 'Stable'

Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid (file photo)

The Afghan spy chief who was wounded in a suicide bombing, Asadullah Khalid, is reported to be in stable condition one day after the attack.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says Asadullah Khalid is now being treated in the U.S.-run military hospital at Bagram air base, 60 kilometers north of Kabul.

He was wounded in a suicide attack inside a guesthouse run by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) intelligence service.

Journalists received an e-mail, said to be from a Taliban spokesman, claiming responsibility for the attack.

Khalid was initially treated in a hospital run by the Directorate of Security.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed optimism about Khalid’s recovery after visiting him in the hospital.

Khalid, a former governor and minister, was appointed as the Afghan intelligence chief in September.

Based on reporting by AFP and nytimes.com