Kabul bombers target Senate chief

Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, who also leads a government commission seeking reconciliation with the Taleban, escaped unhurt in the blast.

But two civilians were killed as well as the two attackers, when their vehicle carrying explosives blew up near his convoy in the capital Kabul.

Mr Mujaddedi blamed Pakistan's spy agency, but Pakistan denied the claim.

He told reporters after the attack he had "information" that the ISI planned to kill him because of his efforts to engage the Taleban in the peace process.

"In the past months I have got [information] from six sources that the ISI had sent people to Afghanistan to assassinate me."

Mr Mujaddedi said the "ISI had inflicted more damage on Afghanistan than the Russians".

'Jealous of peace'

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the Associated Press news agency the charge was "baseless".

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who got in touch with Mr Mujaddedi immediately after the incident, has condemned the attack.

"The attack shows enemies of Afghanistan are jealous of its peace and stability," he said.

Mr Karzai said his government had information for the past two months of "plans being made" to assassinate some political personalities, including himself and Mr Mujaddedi.

He did not, however, mention who were making these plans.

Mr Mujaddedi was driving to work when the attackers struck on a busy street near one of Kabul's two universities, police said.

A pick-up truck approached Mr Mujaddedi's car and exploded, Baz Noor, one of the former president's bodyguards, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"Our car was damaged but no-one was hurt," Mr Noor said.

The powerful blast shattered windows in houses more than a kilometre away.

Presidential ally

Mr Mujaddedi was the first president when Mujahideen fighters seized power from the Soviet-backed regime in 1992.

He has urged all Taleban fighters to lay down their guns and criticised neighbouring Pakistan for supporting the movement, the BBC's Mike Donkin in Kabul says.

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