Afghan peace council head Rabbani killed in attack

Official confirm that the chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani, has been killed with several others in a suicide  bomb attack in Kabul.

Afghan High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed at his home by a suicide attacker who officials suspect had concealed a bomb in his turban.
He was meeting with Taliban at the time. The council tries to negotiate with the Taliban.
Mr Rabbani was a former president of Afghanistan and also leader of main political opposition in the country.
A senior advisor to the peace council, Masoom Stanakzai, is also thought to have been seriously wounded in the attack.
On death of Burhanuddin Rabbani, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cancelled his trip to the US mid-flight. He is now returning to Kabul.
Mr Rabbani's residence is in a well-to-do district of Kabul, on the edge of a high security area close to the US embassy and the district where the Taliban launched a 20-hour attack last week, leaving 25 dead.
The attack is likely to fuel concerns over security in the capital. Security forces have closed off a number of streets in the district and the police are out in force, reports say.
Mr Rabbani and his security advisor, were meeting with members of the Taliban at the time of the blast.
"Two Taliban went with Mr Stanakzai. No-one was checked. Shortly after that we heard an explosion.
Counter terror officials have said that they assume the Taliban visitors were the suicide attackers but add that it is still too early to draw any definite conclusions.