Afghan forces kill suicide attacker near jirga venue

KABUL: Afghan security forces killed an attempted suicide bomber in the capital on Monday near the location of a major meeting of tribal elders and political leaders set to begin in two days, a spokesman for the interior ministry said.

President Hamid Karzai has called the loya jirga, or the traditional assembly, to discuss among other issues a possible U.S. military presence after 2014 when foreign combat troops leave.

"A suicide bomber who was carrying a bag of explosives was shot dead near (the loya jirga tent)," Sediq Sediqqi said. "He was killed before he could carry out his mission."

The four-day gathering in Kabul, due to start on Wednesday, will bring together more than 2,000 politicians, tribal elders, community leaders, businessmen and civil society representatives from across the country.

Last month, the Afghan Taliban said it would target participants in the assembly which will deliberate upon the possibility of long-term U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have long fought against presence of foreign troops in the country.

On Sunday, the Taliban said they had obtained a copy of the detailed security plan for the loya jirga, a claim the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), responsible for security in much of the country, dismissed as "fabricated propaganda". (Reuters)