Afghan President Hamid Karzai

HERAT, Afghanistan, March 21 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Afghan Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq died Sunday, March 21, following an assassination attempt in the western city of Herat, the presidential palace has confirmed, after earlier reports he had survived.

"I can confirm that he has died," presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Ahmad added that Mirwais Sadiq's father, Herat provincial governor Ismail Khan, was safe and in Kabul and had not been the subject of a second assassination attempt, contrary to earlier reports.

A spokesman for the governor, however, said that Ismail Khan was in Herat.

"I am with him," he said, refusing to answer questions as to whether the governor had survived an assassination attempt earlier in the day.

According to reports on state-run Kabul TV, Sadiq was killed along with three other people when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired on their vehicle.

The station said that rebellious elements of the army were fighting in the city and the violence was continuing.

"There was a rebellion against Ismail Khan and still fighting is going on inside the city," Herat resident Rafiq Shahir told AFP from the city.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that he was "deeply shocked" at the killing.

"The President mourns this tragic loss and offers his deepest condolences to the father of the deceased Mr. Ismail Khan, the governor of Herat, and his family," the office of the president said in a statement.

"The President has asked the responsible security organizations to investigate the details of the incident and to take appropriate actions to apprehend those responsible."

A high-level government delegation will travel to Herat to investigate the incident, the statement added.

According to the BBC online news, heavy fighting broke out after the assassination, and unconfirmed reports speak of scores of deaths and injuries.

“A spokesman for Governor Khan blamed the assassination on forces loyal to Zahir Nayebzada, the government commander in Herat.

“Troops loyal to Khan have surrounded the commander's home as well as a military barracks in the city.”

Nayebzada, on the other hand, accused Ismail Khan's forces of provoking the fighting by trying to take command of his division, the BBC reported.

“State television has reported that the security commander for Herat and the city's director of narcotics control were also killed in Sunday's attack.

“It said they were traveling in the same vehicle when it was hit by a rocket propelled grenade.”

In February 2002, Aviation Minister Abdul Rahman was assassinated at Kabul airport. According to witnesses the Minister was lynched by pilgrims who were angry they were unable to take flights to Makkah.