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Suicide bomber targets top NATO, Afghan leaders

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-29 15:01

Abdul Jabbar Taqwa，provincial governor of northern Takhar province speaks to medias after been injured by a suicide bomber which blasted on Saturday May 28. The bomber targeted a meeting of high ranking Afghan and NATO-led forces officials in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province Saturday, leaving seven people dead and 10 others injured, including provincial two governors. [Photo/Xinhua]

KABUL -- A suicide bomber targeted a meeting of high ranking Afghan and NATO-led forces officials in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province Saturday, leaving seven people dead and 10 others injured, including provincial governor Abdul Jabbar Taqwa who miraculously survived, the governor said Sunday.

"It is a miracle that I see myself alive today. Because in fact I was dead in the attack yesterday and found myself alive in the bed of hospital today," Taqwa told Xinhua in an interview from his bed in hospital.

Early reports have suggested the death of governor Taqwa in the deadly blast that claimed the lives of seven people including police chief of Takhar province Shah Jahan Nuri and commander of police in northern Afghan provinces General Mohammad Daud Daud.

Even a doctor in Takhar hospital once confirmed the death of governor Taqwa on Saturday.

The blast took place when a security meeting was underway in the governor office in Takhar's provincial capital Taluqan city.

"Unfortunately seven people including my friends General Daud, police chief Shah Jahan and two German soldiers were killed," Taqwa added.

He also said 10 people including a German military officer were injured in the attack.

Early reports suggested three German soldiers with the NATO-led troops were killed in the blast.

More than 4,500 German soldiers have been stationed in Afghanistan, mostly in the northern Kunduz and Takhar provinces within the framework of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to help stabilize the militancy-plagued country.