Afghan minister escapes as bomb kills four

Afghanistan's defence minister today survived an assassination attempt in which four people were killed and 18 injured.

General Mohammad Fahim was the target of a bomb that exploded near his convoy in central Jalalabad shortly after his arrival at a nearby airport.

While General Fahim escaped injury, four bystanders were killed and about 18 hurt as they lined the road to welcome him.

The bomb had been placed in a kiosk near the route taken by the minister as he headed towards the governor's house, where he was to meet local commanders and tribal leaders. There were reports from witnesses that the minister's vehicle was badly damaged.

Mir Ajan, a defence official in the capital Kabu l , described the bomb blast as an assassination attempt and condemned the attackers for "trying to destabilise the country and disrupt the minister's plans".

There were no British troops in the vicinity of the attack, according to a spokesman for the ISAF peacekeeping operation in Kabul. General Fahim was taken to a safe area where he met commanders to discuss a new government campaign to eradicate heroin-producing poppies.

The attack follows numerous attempts by the authorities to thwart efforts to destabilise Afghanistan's interim administration.

Last week, security forces arrested more than 500 militants linked to the al Qaeda network in a series of raids on houses around Kabul.The terrorists were planning a coup targeting former King Zahir Shah, who is in exile in Rome, and the President of Afghanistan's interim government, Hamid Karzai.