Taliban attack Afghan leaders' meeting

Taliban suicide bombers and rockets attack in Afghanistan talks as Hamid Karzai launches peace plans

The Taliban deployed suicide bombers and rockets that attack a major meeting of Afghan leaders today, moments after President Hamid Karzai launched his plans for making peace with the insurgents.

The three-day "Peace Jirga" had just begun with a speech by the Afghan president when the first rocket exploded somewhere near the compound that houses the country's loya jirga tent – a large white marquee used for important national meetings.

Nearby, security officials exchanged fire with insurgents before a suicide bomber detonated explosives, killing himself. There were no reports of other casualties.

Karzai, who had just been recalling how senior members of the Taliban regime had crossed to the government's side soon after the US-led invasion of 2001, laughed off the incident.

"Sit down, nothing will happen," Karzai told the 1,600 delegates, some of whom left their seats to try to see what was going on.

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