Reduces UN operations in southern Afghanistan due to violence
The announcement came hours after three blasts _ one that had targeted a police chief _ shook the city.
The attacks took place before an operation between NATO and the armed forces Afghanistan to try to retake control of the area against Taliban militants.
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The strategy is to introduce soldiers to expel the militants and imposing a new local governance, development and security projects to gain confidence half a million residents of Kandahar.
Dan McNorton, a UN spokesman in the capital of Kabul, insisted that the organization was leaving Kandahar and who remained committed to continue its assistance and humanitarian work. He refused to say how many UN international staff working even in Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban.
“Given the current security situation in Kandahar, we transferred temporarily to several of our employees Afghans to Kabul, “said McNorton. “Our Afghan colleagues have been instructed to stay home for now.
” We will continue to monitor the security situation in Kandahar and hope to return to work as soon as possible, “he said.
A Western official familiar with UN operations, said 16 UN staff in Kandahar were taken to a safer location Sunday night and then traveled to Kabul and perhaps other places . The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Two of the bombs exploded about 10 meters (30 feet) away while passing in front of a caravan deputy police chief of Kandahar province, Fazel Ahmad Sherzad.
“The target was the vehicle that normally use, but fortunately I was not there at the moment,” said Sherzad.
The explosions killed two civilians and wounded a police officer and another civilian, the Interior Ministry.
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Riechmann reported from Kabul. Journalists from The Associated Press Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Mirwais Khan and Heidi Vogt in Kabul contributed to this report.
April 27, 2010 11:07 am 
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