Kabul: Blast near site of handover ceremony

KABUL A large bomb exploded on Tuesday in Kabul near the location where a ceremony was held as local security forces took over from the international coalition. Three people were killed in the blast. Kabul: Blast near site of handover ceremony The explosion took place "miles away" from the site of the handover ceremony attended by NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, AP reported. A police officer was quoted as saying that the target was the convoy of parliament member Mohammed Mohaqiq, who survived. He is the leader of the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan which represents members of the former Northern Alliance that fought the Taliban before the U.S. invasion in 2001, the news agency said. Meanwhile at the ceremony, Karzai was quoted as saying that it was "a historic moment" for his country. "From tomorrow all of the security operations will be in the hands of the Afghan security forces," he said. According to AP, the handover of responsibility "marks a turning point for American and NATO military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role, and opens the way for their full withdrawal in 18 months." A June 15 photo showing Afghan National Army soliders (Beta/AP) AP Tanjug

Kabul: Blast near site of handover ceremony

The explosion took place "miles away" from the site of the handover ceremony attended by NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, AP reported.

A police officer was quoted as saying that the target was the convoy of parliament member Mohammed Mohaqiq, who survived.

He is the leader of the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan which represents members of the former Northern Alliance that fought the Taliban before the U.S. invasion in 2001, the news agency said.

Meanwhile at the ceremony, Karzai was quoted as saying that it was "a historic moment" for his country.

"From tomorrow all of the security operations will be in the hands of the Afghan security forces," he said.

According to AP, the handover of responsibility "marks a turning point for American and NATO military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role, and opens the way for their full withdrawal in 18 months."