Suicide bombers seriously injure anti-Taliban leader

Afghanistan's opposition leader Ahmed Shah Massood is in a serious condition in hospital after a suicide bombing at his base.

Since the explosion there have been conflicting reports about the extent of his injuries, with Russian news agency Itar/Tass reporting his death.

However, Mr Massood's brother Wali says emergency surgery has been performed on him in a hospital in Tajikistan.

"The doctor says it will be 10 or 12 hours before we know. His condition is stabilising, but he is still unconscious," said Ahmed Wali, Mr Massood's brother and the opposition's ambassador in Britain.

"I spoke to his doctor one hour ago and he said that his condition is stabilising," said Wali. He added that the veteran Afghan commander was flown immediately to Duchanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, following the explosion yesterday afternoon.

Mr Massood met briefly with several of his commanders before being operated upon, he said. "He gave instructions to his commanders before going into the operating theatre."

The most serious injuries were the head wounds caused by shrapnel. He also suffered wounds to his leg and hands.

According to Bismillah Khan, his spokesman in Afghanistan, Mr Massood was being treated in a hospital in the northern Afghan province of Takhar following the "powerful blast." But Wali confirmed that Mr Massood had been flown to Tajikistan.

Mr Khan said the suicide bombers, believed to be Algerians, were posing as television journalists who were conducting an interview with Mr Massood at an opposition base in Khodja Bahauddin in northern Afghanistan's Takhar province when the explosion occurred.

Both of the bombers were killed, along with one of Mr Massood's spokesmen, Azim Suhail, according to Mr Khan, who accused the Taliban of sending the suicide bombers into Massood's territory. The Taliban were not immediately available for comment.