US troops injured and police chief killed after Afghan guards open fire during Kandahar security meeting

One of Afghanistan's most powerful security officials has been killed after a bodyguard opened fire during a security meeting in the city of Kandahar. A number of US troops were also wounded.

The provincial governor's elite guard turned their guns on their own colleagues at the high-level security meeting.

General Scott Miller, the top US commander in Afghanistan who had been at the meeting with General Abdul Razeq only moments earlier, was uninjured in the attack, but the local commander of the NDS intelligence service was killed and the provincial governor was severely wounded.

Two American troops were wounded in the attack, which came ahead of parliamentary elections on Saturday

Officials said Razeq, General Miller and the other officials were walking towards a landing zone as the helicopter taking the US general's party back to Kabul approached to land when the gunman, who was waiting outside, opened fire on the group.

“Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests to the aircraft when the gunshots happened,” said Said Jan Khakrezwal, the head of the provincial council told Reuters.

At least two hand grenade explosions and sporadic gunfire from around the compound were also reported by officials.

US Colonel Knut Peters, a spokesman for the Nato troops in Afghanistan, said the two Americans troops who were wounded have been medically evacuated.

Colonel Peters said initial reports indicate the original attacker is dead.

Mr Razeq was criticised by human rights groups but highly respected by US officers who saw him as one of Afghanistan's most effective leaders, largely responsible for keeping Kandahar province under control.

He had survived several attempts on his life over many years and narrowly escaped an attack last year in which five diplomats from the United Arab Emirates were killed in Kandahar.

“Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests to the plane when the gunshots happened,” said Said Jan Khakrezwal, the head of the provincial council.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. “The brutal police chief of Kandahar has been killed along several other officials,” a statement said.

Reuters contributed to this report