Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai narrowly escaped an "audacious attack" by the Taliban during a parade in Kabul marking the end of the Soviet invasion.
CTV's South Asia Bureau Chief Paul Workman told Â鶹´«Ã½net on Sunday that he spoke with Arif Lalani, Canada's ambassador, after the attack and the diplomat was not hurt. Karzai was also uninjured.
However, nine people, including the two lawmakers who were critically injured, were taken to hospital. A local Shiite leader died, and three Taliban fighters were also killed.
"Three of the people who we think started firing, all of them have been killed by the security forces, and some people have been detained," Afghan Defence Minister, Gen. Adbul Rahim said.
The attack happened just after a band finished playing the Afghan national anthem. It's believed that the shooting came from a nearby building, including mortars and grenades.
But other reports have suggested that some of the gunmen might have been part of the parade itself.
"Somehow the (Taliban) were able to get into (Kabul) on the national day, a day of a great parade when the country was trying to show off its security, its army ... it is really quite extraordinary and shows the very tenuous hold that the Afghan government has on security in its own capital city," Workman said from Kandahar.
Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier expressed Canada's outrage over the attack, calling it a "senseless act of violence" that killed innocent Afghans.
He also said that "the attack will not deter the Canadian government in its support for the Afghan people, President Karzai and the Afghan government."
Workman said that it appears that some of those responsible for the attack were wearing police and military uniforms, and others opened fire from buildings across the street from the ceremony.
He also said the Taliban used mortars in the attack, and a gunfight erupted between the assailants and security forces.
"This went on for some time, and it wasn't just one or two shots that were being fired. There was an exchange of fire back and forth. There were a lot of people on the ground, including diplomats in the crowd, (which included) the Canadian ambassador," he told Newsnet.
"So, (it was) really a very audacious attack by the Taliban, showing their contempt of the government."
A Taliban spokesperson said that the attack showed the group could strike anywhere, anytime.
Workman said the scene was marked by chaos, where people were running and ducking for their lives. All of it was captured on live television.
A statement from the presidential palace said that all cabinet members and foreign diplomats were safe.
"President (Hamid) Karzai condemns this act and asks for all the people to remain calm," the palace statement said.
Karzai later appeared on national television to report that some suspects have been arrested. Karzai's life has been threatened ever since he took over the country's leadership following the 2001 NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan.
With files from The Associated Press
