WORLD : 5 Die in Sham Afghan Surrender
Afghan rebels purportedly surrendering to officials of the Moscow-backed government opened fire during a ceremony today in western Afghanistan, killing at least five senior military officers, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.
A BBC correspondent recorded the intense sounds of automatic weapons fire used during the 15-minute attack in Herat, a city near Afghanistan’s Iranian border, 400 miles west of Kabul. The reporter said the incident occurred when the provincial governor moved to embrace a guerrilla commander, who had apparently voiced his intention to surrender with his fighters.
Shooting broke out, prompting a crowd of diplomats, reporters and various dignitaries to duck for cover.
The reporter said the governor is in critical condition and “a large number” of other officials and some civilians are dead.
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