Afghans foil plot to assassinate Fahim

Afghan authorities have foiled a plot to assassinate President Hamid Karzai’s first vice-president in the capital city of Kabul, the National Directorate of Security says.

Afghan security forces have detained seven alleged militants in Kabul who planned to assassinate the vice-president and attack the city’s presidential palace, officials said on Wednesday.

Lotfollah Mashal, spokesman for the National Directorate of Security, said five of the detainees had been planning to attack the residence of Mohammad Qasim Fahim, President Hamid Karzai’s first vice-president.

He said the seven militants were allied with the Haqqani network, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group.

Mashal said the five had been close to carrying out their plan when they were arrested, but he would not give an exact timing of the arrests for security reasons.

He said the forces also thwarted a bomb attack near President Hamid Karzai’s palace in Kabul.

General Mohammad Qasim Fahim is a prominent Afghan military commander, politician and vice president to Hamid Karzai.