Karzai Remains Steadfast

BAZARAK, Afghanistan —  After praying at the grave of legendary anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Masoud, who was slain by a suicide bomber last year, President Hamid Karzai vowed Saturday to fight terrorism despite an attempt on his life two days earlier.

“We will continue to fight. We will continue to go and fulfill the objectives and desires of the man who is lying buried under the ground here,” Karzai said from the Panjshir Valley in northern Afghanistan.

Karzai has been moving under heavy guard since a governor’s security guard tried to gun him down Thursday in the southern city of Kandahar. At least 14 people who had served as guards for Gov. Gul Agha Shirzai have been held for questioning.

The gunman has been identified as Abdul Rahman, 22, from Helmand province, where sympathy for the Taliban remains strong.

Security has also been increased in the capital, Kabul, after a car bombing Thursday left at least 24 dead. One man is under arrest in connection with the blast, Interior Ministry official Ali Shah said.